Terms and Conditions
by The Thorned Rose
Summary: Bought and paid for, Tea is forced into an unwanted marriage with Seto Kaiba. Although, Kaiba would never admit it, he wanted to make her happy but was utterly clueless on how to do so. With Mokuba's help, can Kaiba show her that they could be happy together? Or, will their world come crashing down on them?
1. Chapter 1

Terms and Conditions

Seto Kaiba was sitting in his office typing up a new contract, when he heard a major commotion outside his door. It sounded like some guys arguing with his secretary. He was about to get up to see what all the racket was about when a group of boys burst through his door. Joey was the first to speak, "Kaiba, we need your help!"

To say that Kaiba was surprised would be the understatement of the year. Natasha, his secretary came in and said, "I am sorry Mister Kaiba; I tried to stop them." He waved her off and said, "It is fine, just shut the door."

Joey, Tristan, and Yugi looked up at him hopefully. Kaiba smirked, "Isn't there someone missing from this meeting. I am sure we could reschedule this to where your cheerleader could attend."

Tristan grabbed the back a Joey's shirt, knowing his short temper. "That is what we are here about. I am sure you noticed Tea has been missing from the university for almost a week now."

Kaiba shrugged, "Yeah, I have noticed Ms. Perfect Attendance has been slacking. What about it?"

Tristan explained, "Joey heard from one of his old gang's members that he saw Tea tied up and being offered to the ringleader as reparation for some money her parent's borrowed."

Kaiba snorted and replied, "They really need to brush up on their haggling skills."

Tristan ignored Kaiba's comment and continued, "Her parents have a gambling problem and if they didn't come up with the money they owed fast, they would have been pushing up daisies. They had hoped that offering their daughter, they would forgive the rest of the loan. The ringleader took Tea, but only offered them a year extension on their loan. Tea is going to be sold tomorrow night to the highest bidder."

Kaiba thought about what Tristan said. Although he would never outwardly admit it, he couldn't imagine how it felt to be sold by his own parent's; to be thrown away like yesterday's newspaper. But, he had a reputation to uphold. He couldn't help them without having an ulterior motive behind it.

His thoughts were interrupted by Yugi pleading, "Please Kaiba. We will do anything!"

Kaiba grunted and said, "Fine, I will get her out of there on a few conditions."

Joey was about to ask what they were, when Yugi said, "We accept."

Kaiba smiled and thought, 'This is going to be like taking candy away from a baby. He is finally going to beat Yugi at something.'

"Here are my terms," Kaiba explained, "I will buy Tea's freedom, and since she obviously no longer has a home, she will stay at my mansion. In return, she will marry me and become a mother like figure to Mokuba."

Joey screamed, "YOU WANT TO MARRY HER! YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM ANY OF THOSE OTHER LOW LIVES TRYING TO BUY HER!"

Kaiba shook his head, "I am not interested in an actual relationship, physical or otherwise. I simply want someone to act as my wife while attending business parties. There are several family oriented companies that would look at me better if I were married. My other criteria is that she is to keep an eye on Mokuba when I am at the office."

Tristan didn't like the terms, but Joey looked like he was going to kill Kaiba and Yugi was too stunned to speak. Tristan finally said, "We agree, just get her out of there so she doesn't get hurt."

….

It was the night of the auction and Kaiba sat in the back wearing waiting on Tea. When she was brought on the stage, she was kicking her legs thrashing like crazy until she saw Kaiba and her friends sitting in the back. Tea couldn't believe it, 'He is here to help me.'

Kaiba noticed her eyes light up when she saw them in the back. He mentally chuckled, wondering how long that look would last when she discovered his terms.

The auctioneer started the bidding at ten thousand dollars. (I don't know dollar to yen translation, nor do I care.) The bid went back and forth between Kaiba and two other men. Kaiba finally got tired of it and wanted to get this over with so he said, "One million dollars." The two other men stopped bidding and the auctioneer said, "Going once…going twice…sold!"

A man pulled Tea off the side of the stage and beckoned them to follow him. When they reach backstage, Kaiba showed the man the inside of his briefcase which contained the money. Kaiba turned to Tea and began to untie her wrist. "Count it if you want," Kaiba said, "but it is all there. Come on, Gardener."

Much to his surprise, as soon as her hands were freed, she threw her arms around him and started to cry. "Thank you, Kaiba. I was so scared," she whispered.

He was shocked, but quickly recovered and said, "Don't thank me yet. You don't know the terms and conditions yet."

Kaiba instantly regretted his choice of words when Tea's face changed from relief to fear. He walked with the group to the limo. Once inside she asked, "What do you want Kaiba?"

Kaiba smirked and replied, "A wife."

Yugi, Joey, and Tristan sat quietly…they knew this wasn't going to end well.

Tea started to laugh and asked, "Now where do you expect me to pull one of those from." Kaiba's face was unchanged and he waited until realization hit her. It didn't take very long for her to realize that he was serious and she became quiet.

Once Kaiba was satisfied that she knew what was going on he continued, "I have several companies I work with that would look at me better if I had a family. You would merely be required to attend those functions and to keep an eye on Mokuba from time to time. I am looking for a marriage, not a relationship."

Tea looked Kaiba directly in the eye and asked, "So let me get this straight, you want me to marry you and you are not interested in me in the slightest. So essentially, you are looking for a nanny and a trophy wife."

Kaiba chuckled and replied, "You're not much of a trophy, but yes that is what I want."

Tea fumed from his comment and replied, "You're not much of a prize either Mr. Kaiba. Why the hell do you want me? I wasn't brought up in the world of glitz and glamour. I highly doubt I would fit in with your business friends."

Kaiba frowned and replied, "None of them are my friends. You don't even have to talk at those parties. (I kind of wish you wouldn't) All you have to do is sit and be pretty. I will have someone teach you business rules, etiquette, and other essentials. As to why I would choose you, I trust you with Mokuba and you're convenient."

Tea wasn't sure if she should be flattered he called her pretty or insulted that he said she was convenient. Like she was some fast food joint.

Yugi then spoke up, "Kaiba, aren't you interested in marrying for love?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes, "Please, once you have become a public figure, there is no such thing as marrying for love. Marriage is a game and it is only used as a bargaining chip. A pawn in a much larger game of chess."

Tea frowned, "So that is what I am to you, a pawn." She was furious but she was also homeless. What could she do other than accept his offer? She held her hand out and mumbled to herself, "This is not how I imagined I would be proposed to." Kaiba had been close enough to hear it, but the other boys were preoccupied with their own thoughts.

The car pulled up to the game shop and Yugi, Joey, and Tristan exited the vehicle. Tea wanted to go with them, but she figured Kaiba would have more he wanted to discuss.

Kaiba thought, 'What do you expect from me? You should know that I am not the romantic type and considering the situation she was lucky. She was about to marry one of the richest men in the world. Why would she worry about something as miniscule as a proposal?' Once the guys were gone Kaiba then told Tea, "That is because this was not a proposal. This was a proposition. A proposal would imply that I had feelings for you. A proposition is simply a business transaction. You technically didn't have to accept, but you and I both know that I always get what I want."

Tea's stomach churned at his last statement, 'I always get what I want.'

Kaiba watched her closely and saw pure terror in her eyes. He let out a sigh, he wasn't trying to scare her. He just didn't know how to talk to people. The only life he knew, belonged in a boardroom.

They pulled up to the Kaiba mansion and Tea was in awe. She had never seen such a large house. Especially considering that only Kaiba and Mokuba lived in it. When the car pulled up, Mokuba ran out the house to greet his brother.

Tea smiled as she saw Kaiba greet his little brother with open arms. She had always admired the bond that the two brothers shared. Mokuba looked up at her surprised and asked, "Tea, what are you doing here?"

Before Tea could say anything, Kaiba replied, "Tea is going to stay with us for a while. If that is alright with you of course?"

Mokuba smiled and answered, "Of course it is! Come on Tea, we'll show you around."

Kaiba followed behind the two. He had more important things to tend to, but part of him wanted to know more about Tea. After all, he would be marrying her. Mokuba showed her the kitchen, living room, games room, and she was smiling so he assumed that she approved. But her eyes really lit up when she saw the ballroom. Kaiba knew she had always dreamed about being a dancer so this wasn't much of a surprise. But he wondered if he could do something to make life here better for her. Maybe she wouldn't hate him so much…not that he really cared what she thought about him, of course.

After Mokuba finished giving a tour of the nicer rooms he decided to go down to the kitchen to fix a few bowls of the soup the chef had prepared for dinner. Tea was about to follow him when Kaiba grabbed her arm. "There is one more place you need to see," Kaiba said with authority.

Tea nodded and followed him. He opened up a door at the end of the hall and said, "This is our room."

Tea looked inside and saw a white and blue color schemed room. The walls were white and the bed had a satin blue canopy hanging over it. There was a desk and a few book cases on one side the room and two doors on the opposite side of the room. On the wall in front the bed was a flat screen television. The room was breathtakingly beautiful. Suddenly what he had called the room registered in her head. "Our room?" she asked, "I thought this marriage was going to be platonic."

Kaiba frowned as she misinterpreted his gesture. He replied, "It will be platonic. I am rarely ever home to use this bedroom and even if I am home, I generally fall asleep in my desk chair. I just figured you might want to sleep here since it is the largest room in the house. If my rare presence makes you uncomfortable then by all means pick out a guest room."

Tea seemed to be having a battle with herself. If she stayed, she might have to share the bed with him every now and then. But, if she chose a guest room she might insult Kaiba and he could make her life a living hell."

Finally, she decided that she would stay in that room. Besides, the rest of the house kind of freaked her out. It was just so impersonal, there wasn't hardly any pictures in the house. At least Kaiba's room had some signs of life."

They met Mokuba downstairs in the kitchen. He had 3 bowls of soup prepared. Mokuba realized he forgot to grab some crackers so he went to look in the pantry. Tea was about to sit on the sofa when Kaiba said, "I don't know what type of barn you grew up in, but we eat in the dining room."

Tea's eyes narrowed and since Mokuba wasn't in the room she replied, "Well, you just purchased me from the people who owned that so called barn so I would back off. If you weren't satisfied for my upbringing you should have picked somebody else."

'I wish I had,' Kaiba silently thought to himself. He was done trying to deal with her attitude so he snatched her bowl from her and carried it to the dining room. She followed behind him more pissed than ever and thus began the most awkward dinner ever. Mokuba came back with the crackers and saw that neither Tea nor Kaiba were talking to one another. Heck they refused to make eye contact with each other. Mokuba looked on in silence, he wasn't sure what, but he knew something was going on between them.

When Tea had finished, she washed her bowl and marched up to the bedroom. She didn't want to deal with him anymore tonight.

….

"What the hell is going on?" Mokuba asked after Tea left the room.

Kaiba was a bit shocked but answered, "I am going to marry Tea."

"Marry her?" Mokuba asked, "Did she agree to this?"

Kaiba nodded and replied, "We made a verbal contract."

Mokuba rolled his eyes, 'Oh boy, his big brother was clueless.'

"A relationship contract, I doubt I could think of anything more romantic if I tried. Why don't you get it down in writing?" Mokuba's comment was dripping with sarcasm.

Kaiba crossed his arms and replied, "I thought about that, but if the contract were to get into the wrong hands, it would prove to be disastrous."

Mokuba realized his older brother was dead serious and part of him wanted to cry. He realized that Seto had little to no people skills. But, it should be obvious even to Seto that he couldn't force Tea into a marriage and expect that she would be happy.

Mokuba then asked, "Seto, business and politics aside, what do you exactly do you expect to accomplish by marrying Tea?"

Kaiba thought about Mokuba's question and answered, "I want you to experience what is like to have a mother. I only knew our mother for a short time, but I wouldn't trade the days we had for anything in the world."

Mokuba continued, "Okay Seto, let's dig a little deeper. What do YOU hope to get out of marrying Tea? JUST YOU."

Kaiba sighed and answered, "I want what any human being wants, someone to grow old with. You aren't going to be around forever. One day you are going to want to get married and have kids. And, I want that for you, but that would leave me all alone. All my life I have been working to make a future for you and me. It's just, I have come to realize that you are going to make your own future, and it is about time that I start thinking about mine."

Mokuba listened intently, he knew that his big brother had a hard time explaining how he felt and he didn't want to interrupt while he was speaking because he doubted his older brother would ever be this open to the subject again. When Seto finished Mokuba asked, "Big brother, do you have feelings for Tea."

Although Seto didn't give an official answer, he just shrugged at the question. Mokuba could see that his older brother seemed to be having an internal battle on the subject. This signaled to Mokuba that Seto did indeed have feelings for Tea, he was just uncertain of what those feelings were.

Mokuba sighed and said, "Look, if ever do end up sorting out your feelings for her, don't you think it would be difficult to find out what she truly feels about you if she is force into the marriage."

Part of Seto knew Mokuba was right. But, Seto was not about to back down, "Things will work out… You'll see." Even Mokuba could sense how uncertain Seto felt at that moment.

Mokuba shook his head and headed towards his bedroom. There was no use in trying to talk to Seto anymore tonight, his mind was already made up.


	2. Chapter 2

To the random guest who commented on my story, thank you. I am glad you like my writing style and since you have read and commented on my other stories, I will update your favorite one very soon! By the way, you don't have to sign anonymously. Even if I when I do receive bad feedback, I just message the person to find out how they feel I can improve the story.

….

The next day was uncomfortable for everyone. Mokuba sat in the dining room watching Tea and Seto eating in an uncomfortable silence. Mokuba tried to start up a conversation, but Tea only gave single word answers (like yes and no) and Seto merely grunted in acknowledgement.

Despite his silence, Kaiba knew he had to do something if he wanted any chance of getting along with Tea. He thought about what he saw other guys doing around the university. He saw Joey bringing Mai flowers once. If Joey managed to keep Mai this long, he must be doing something right. He remembered seeing a football player buy his girlfriend a designer perfume for the girl's birthday. Another time he saw a woman kiss her boyfriend for commenting on the way she looked. Or social convention dictates that having dinner at a restaurant makes girls happy.

Kaiba thought over his current options and decided that buying her a gift would require the least effort. He sent a text to Margaret to pick out a beautiful present for his fiancé and leave it on the bed.

The head maid, Margaret, was a 73-year-old woman who had been with the Kaiba family longer than Seto and Mokuba were. She was kept around after Gozaburo's, Kaiba and Mokuba's stepfather, death because despite the cruelty their stepfather inflicted, she was always there to help mend their injuries. She even stayed past her paid hours one night to comfort Seto as a child. The maid went searching through Tea and Seto's room trying to find something that would hint what type of things she liked. Unfortunately, she couldn't find anything of the girl's. She was about to give up and go to the store to pick out a stuffed animal or something when she saw a piece of dirty laundry on the floor that gave her an idea…

…

Kaiba had to go to the office. So, Tea had to pick Mokuba up from school that day. When they got home that evening, Tea wanted to take a nap before dinner. It had been a long day and she had a lot of school work to catch up on. When she entered the bedroom, she saw a fancy gift bag sitting on the bed. She walked over curiously and saw a card sticking out the bag. The card read, "To my darling fiancé: Tea." The card was a bit impersonal, but she didn't expect much more from Kaiba. She opened her bag and pulled out…

…

After Kaiba finished up at his office he was actually looking forward to going home. He had high hopes that the maid's gift would put him on steadier ground with Tea. When he entered the home he called out, "Mokuba, Tea, I am home."

He looked up the winding staircase and saw Tea walking down the stairs with his arms crossed. In one of her hands the gift bag dangled. But to his surprise she wasn't smiling; she looked furious! Kaiba raised his eyebrow thinking, 'Wow, who pissed in her cheerios?"

Once she reached the bottom step, she didn't walk over to meet him. She waited for him to approach her. Cautiously he did approach her and asked, "Do you like your present?"

To his surprise she handed him the bag and struggled with trying not to smack him. Mokuba ran down the stairs and Tea realized that giving Kaiba a piece of her mind right now was not an option. With a voice dripping with sarcasm she replied, "I love the present. But, I feel like this is much too luxurious for a simple girl like me." She handed him the bag and said, "Actually, I think it would look much better on you." She then headed into the kitchen to grab dinner.

Kaiba looked at her incredulously and reached into the bag. To his horror and Mokuba's delight he pulled out a red lace bra with a matching thong. Mokuba laughed so hard he just about passed out due to lack of oxygen. Kaiba lowered his head in embarrassment and suddenly started to chuckle. Truthfully the chuckle was a nervous reaction. He followed her into the kitchen and said, "I can explain."

"You don't have to explain anything Mr. Kaiba. I got your message loud and clear." She replied irritably

Kaiba explained, "I didn't buy you the gift…Well technically I paid for it but I didn't know what it was."

Tea looked at him with a mixture of anger and confusion and asked, "What?"

Kaiba rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I asked my maid to pick you out a nice gift. I had hoped it would make you feel more…comfortable around me and your new home."

Tea snorted appearing slightly humored, "I can see that worked well." She walked towards the dining room and sat down with her plate. Kaiba grabbed himself a plate and followed her. He sat across from her and saw that she was avoiding eye contact with him.

Kaiba frowned and explained, "I had no idea she was buying lingerie. I figured she would buy you a nice purse or something."

Tea finally looked up and her irritated gaze softened. She said, "Regardless of your intentions, if you wanted to give me something you should have picked it out. A gift means nothing if it doesn't come from the heart."

Kaiba took note of what she just said. Hopefully it would be enough to keep him out of trouble the next time he tried to give her something.

Kaiba thought back to the list of things that might help him with Tea and decided to try to compliment her. After the lingerie fiasco, he couldn't really compliment her appearance coming off as a pervert. So he focused on her face. The one thing that had always stood out to him was her breathtaking smile.

He swallowed hard and nervously said, "You have nice teeth."

Tea almost choked on her food trying not to laugh. She realized that he was trying to compliment her… but his social skills were definitely lacking. Regardless she replied, "Thank you." Part of her was happy that he thought she had a pretty smile.

She had finished her meal and picked up her dishes to carry into the kitchen. Before she left, she said, "Kaiba, I meant what I said, when I told you that you would look better in that gift than me." Kaiba smirked and she left the room. Kaiba let out a sigh of relief, 'At least, that went well. He thought to himself.'

Mokuba entered the room with a mischievous grin on his face. "So did you try on her gift yet?" he asked.

"Ha ha. Very funny Mokuba," Kaiba responded, feeling slightly peeved. "What do you want Mokuba?" he asked.

Mokuba beamed, "I want to help you big brother. So you don't have another screw up like this." He pulled the small lace thong out of the bag to make his point. He then asked, "What are you going to do next?"

Kaiba thought maybe it would be safer to run the plans by Mokuba before he tried anything. Although the kid had never been on a date, he definitely had better people skills in general. "I thought I might take her out for dinner one night."

Mokuba nodded and said, "That sound's great. I could spend the night at a friend's house that night so you two can have a real date."

Kaiba shrugged and replied, "If you want… I am not going to just abandon you over a date."

Mokuba rolled his eyes and left to do his homework.

After Kaiba finished his dinner. He searched the house and found Tea practicing ballet in his ballroom. He entered the room and said, "Tomorrow evening be dressed for 6:00. We are going out to eat."

Tea stopped dancing and asked, "Was that a request or a command?" Kaiba looked confused by her question so she continued, "You are supposed to ask a girl to join you in a restaurant. You don't bark it out as if it were an order."

Kaiba realized his mistake and rephrased his comment, "I have a dinner reservation at 7:00, would you care to join me."

She smiled and said, "That's better and I would be honored." She then realized something, "Seto, I don't have anything to wear."

'How could he not have thought of that before?' he thought to himself. All she had the past few day was the clothes on her back. He saw her borrowing his pajama tops to sleep in so she could wash her clothes. He shook his head, "No problem, I will have one of the maids pick something out for you. I will bring you shopping the next day."

Tea looked down at her feet feeling slightly embarrassed and asked, "Actually, would you mind letting me go shopping with Mai. We have some catching up to do."

Kaiba shook his head and replied, "That would be fine."

After she accepted, Kaiba walked to his office. He was relieved that she accepted, but that brought on a new challenge. He didn't know much about dating, but he knew that people generally talk to each other when they are on a date. This brought up the question, what would he talk about? To try to prevent himself from looking like a complete fool, he wrote a list of topics and questions to take with him in case the date took a turn for the worse.

…

It was almost 6:00. Kaiba emerged from his office with his list and a bouquet of flowers. He heard Tea coming downstairs and looked up to her. She was wearing a royal blue wrap dress with black heels. She looked elegant. Once she reached the bottom step, Kaiba remembered the flowers he picked for her and walked up to hand them to her.

She gratefully accepted them and said, "Thank…achoo."

He was glad to see her smile and replied, "You're welcome."

She was about to say something else when she started to sneeze again. Achoo…achoo…achoo

Kaiba looked at her curiously. She looked fine only moments ago, not a sniffle in sight. But now…achoo…she was sneezing all over the place. "Go lay down," he instructed, "I am going to call the doctor."

She nodded and handed him the flowers, "Put these in a…achoo…vase for me please."

He nodded and carried them into the kitchen. After he called the doctor, he carried the flowers upstairs in an old Chinese vase. According to his stepfather, it was centuries old and from the Ming Dynasty.

He sat the flowers on her night stand and found that she had changed into one of his shirts to sleep in. He sat on the bed and waited for the doctor.

Tea had begun to regret acting as she had towards him the past few days. She acted that way because she felt like he thought he owned her, like a piece of property. But now, seeing how he called things off when she was ill instead of forcing her to go proved to her that he was trying to be courteous towards her. Even now, when he could be working at his computer, he stayed with her and waited.

When the doctor finally arrived she evaluated Tea and said, "It appears that you have some sort of allergy. Did you recently get a new pet or try a new perfume."

Tea shook her head and looked over to Kaiba. The doctor asked Kaiba if he had a new cologne and he also answered no. That was when it hit him, Kaiba opened the window, grabbed the vase full of flowers, and flung it out of the window.

Achoo! Tea looked up in surprise and asked, "What the hell…achoo…was that for?"

"It's the flowers that you are allergic to. You didn't start sneezing until I gave them to you." He explained.

Tea realized he was right but one thing was still bugging her. "You could have just taken the flowers out… achoo…of the vase and throw them away. Why did you ruin the vase?" Achoo.

"I hated that vase," he explained.

She rolled her eyes and the doctor handed her 2 Benadryl tablets. "These pills will help you feel better, but they will also help you sleep." She then turned to Kaiba and said, "Try not to disturb her."

He handed the doctor a check and she left the room.

Kaiba then handed Tea a card and she looked at it mildly confused. "I am not sure if you are still going to go. But, you said that you were going to go shopping with Mai tomorrow. I had a credit card made with both of our names on it. Don't worry about the cost. Get whatever you want, but make sure you stop by Isabell's Formal Attire. There is a business party coming up and you will need a fancy dress to attend." He explained.

Tea sneezed again, she would have reprimanded him over him telling her about the party instead of asking her to go with him, but she didn't have the energy. She simply nodded and sleepily whispered, "Good night, Seto." With that, she was asleep.

Kaiba stood there stunned for a moment, no one had called him by his first name, other than his brother. He wasn't upset over it…just shocked. Was she trying to tell him something by calling him by his first name, or was it just a slip up. Kaiba shut the door behind him and decided to go Kaiba corp to get some work done.

….

The next morning, Tea was feeling much better she turned her head and didn't see Seto at his desk. So, she went to check and see if he was on the couch. Seeing he was not there either she went and searched each of the rooms in the house. Of course, he was nowhere to be found. Her stomach tied into a knot, where was he? The doorbell rang and she went to answer it. When she opened the door, she found Mai smiling at her.

Mai greeted her, "Hey girl, how are you liking living in the lap of luxury."

Tea ignored her comment and said, "Just have a seat Mai, I have to take care of something."

Mai looked her up and down and replied, "I'll say, you aren't even dressed. You can't seriously thinking about going in that. Although, I am sure Seto didn't mind seeing what was under there last night"

Tea looked down in confusion and blushed. She shook her head and replied, "No, I don't have hardly any clothes. That is why I called you. We haven't had a day to hang out in so long. Shopping sounded like the perfect way to catch up."

Tea then saw a maid come out of the kitchen. The name tag read Margaret. "Pardon me Miss Margaret," Tea called out.

Margaret turned towards her and beamed, "Hello dear, are you Ms. Tea Gardener?" Tea nodded and the old lady asked, "It is an honor finally to meet you miss. Did you and Kaiba enjoy the present I picked out?"

Tea's cheeks turned red and Mai quickly picked up that there was a story behind it. Tea didn't answer her question. Instead she asked, "Where's Kaiba?"

Margaret looked at her in confusion and thought, 'Why wouldn't she call him Seto if she was going to be wed to him soon?' Regardless, she answered, "He left home last night and I don't remember seeing him come home."

Tea's face turned to panic and she asked, "Do you know his cellphone number?"

Once again, Margaret looked puzzled, 'Why didn't she know his cellphone number?' She pulled out her cellphone and pressed call. Tea pressed the phone to her ear and suddenly she heard a buzzing noise. She looked over to the coffee table and screamed, "F***!" She grabbed her dress she wore from the night earlier and was changing as she walked out the door. A neighbor from the other side of the street got a lovely view of her duel monster undies.

She handed Margaret back her phone and said, "Mai, come on we need to go find him."

"Why? He is a grown man Tea. He can take care of himself," Mai replied.

Tea nodded and replied, "I know, but he could have gotten into a wreck or something! Please, we need to go now!"

Mai walked to the car slightly annoyed that Kaiba had ruined her day with Tea. They drove around searching for any sign of his limo but to no avail. Suddenly the Kaiba Corp skyscraper came into view and she wondered if he was in his office.

Mai waited in the car while Tea ran through the doors of the Kaiba corp building. She went to the front desk and asked, "Where is Seto Kaiba's office?"

The woman behind the desk laughed and said, "Do you really think I would tell you where Mr. Kaiba is? Stupid tramp, who do you think you are?"

…..

As Seto came out the elevator, he felt exhausted. He spent the whole night working in the office to take his mind off of his confusion with her calling him Seto last night. Eventually he fell asleep at his desk and woke up with a terrible headache. Suddenly he heard a deranged woman scream, "Do you really think I would tell you where Mr. Kaiba is? Stupid tramp, who do you think you are?"

Kaiba approached the desk and harshly said, "This "Stupid Tramp" just so happens to be my fiancé." A few people on the floor gasped and stopped what they were doing. The office became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Kaiba rolled his eyes at their reactions and said, "Miss Webster, you're fired!" Tears welled up in the woman's eyes and she was about to leave when Tea grabbed her hand.

Tea suddenly said, "Kaiba please, firing her is unnecessary. No harm was done." Miss Webster looked shocked but looked over to him hopefully.

Kaiba gave an irritated grunt and raised his voice, "Fine, but if any one dares disrespects my "tramp" again, there will be serious repercussions." A few people in the office giggled, but Tea simply shot him an irritated glare. Kaiba smirked and said, "Come to my office so we can have privacy."

Tea followed with her arms crossed and watched as he placed his key into the elevator. The key unlocked the top floor where his office was located.

When they reached the door, she stepped out and he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you!" she screamed, "I searched the entire house for you this morning and you were nowhere to be found. Then, I asked your maid if she had seen you, and she tells me that you never came home last night. I was horrified you were in an accident or something. You couldn't have left a note or given me a call to let me know where you were going?"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed and he said, "Would you please stop screaming? I have a splitting headache. Also, I didn't plan to stay out that late. I accidentally fell asleep at my desk. I woke up about 15 minutes ago when the mail was delivered."

Tea sighed and replied, "Fine, just please don't do that to me again. You had me so worried."

Kaiba then remembered, "Oh I have you something." He walked over to his desk and pulled out a small velvet box. He handed her the box and continued, "That business party is coming up and I remembered that I hadn't picked you out an engagement ring yet. So last night picked one out that I thought you might like and had him deliver it to me this morning."

She hesitantly opened the box and saw a beautiful white-gold ring. It had a heart shaped pink sapphire as the centerpiece and several white diamonds surrounding the heart and going down the band.

Kaiba looked at her expression and was unable to decipher what she was feeling. Nervously he said, "If you don't like it, I can return it and get something else. Or if you don't feel comfortable calling it an engagement ring, you could call it a promise ring."

Tea looked at the ring and was surprised at how much thought he put into the ring. She smiled and threw her arms around his waist and almost made him lose his balance. She then whispered, "It's perfect, and would be honored to wear it Seto." Kaiba reached up to caress her face when she did something shocked him.

Suddenly, she realized what she just said and pushed herself away from him. Her back hit the wall and she looked up at him with fearful eyes. She said, "I am sorry Kaiba, I didn't mean to call you that. I meant no disrespect."

After she apologized, Kaiba saw her eyes were filled with fear. He was slightly disheartened by her reaction and asked, "Tea, have I ever given you any reason to believe that I would hurt you."

Tea's breath hitched in her throat and she shook her head. He started to walk towards her and when she got really close, she shut her eyes. He was close enough now to see that she was trembling. He reached down and pulled the ring gently out of the box in her hand and slid the ring on her hand. Timidly she dared to open her eyes and saw hurt in his eyes. "I don't mind if you call me Seto. Since you are going to be family soon, I would actually prefer it if you did."

Tea seemed a little more at ease after he said that, but he could tell she was still nervous. She swallowed hard and said, "I have to go. Mai is waiting for me in the car."

Kaiba nodded and picked up his briefcase. He opened the door for her and as she was walking out the door he said, "I am getting ready to go home. I finished everything I had to do for today, last night. So, I am going to catch up on some sleep."

Tea smirked and said, "You're going to sleep? Good, I was under the impression you were a vampire."

Kaiba chuckled softly and the doors of the elevator opened. He walked Tea to Mai's car and said, "Don't worry about money when you go shopping. Get anything you want or need."

He opened the car door for her and she replied, "Okay, I will see you when I get home."

He shut the door and watched her leave. After she left, his true emotions began to show and walked to the limo.

The minute he got home, he opened the door and threw his briefcase across the room. Mokuba walked downstairs when he heard something crash and saw his older brother, who was now trying to clean up the glass coffee table he had just broke. Mokuba put shoes on and came down the stairs. "What's wrong Seto? Did your date last night not go well?"

Kaiba shook his head at him and said, "No, The flowers I bought her made her get sick."

Mokuba looked at him incredulously and asked, "And that is why you are mad? Seto she can't help it if she gets sick."

Kaiba shook his head and said, "It's not about that and I am not mad. I am just..."

Mokuba let him take his time and he explained everything that had been going on….


	3. Chapter 3

Hi, reviewers! Thank you for your recommendations. I will be sure to work on further defining the emotions of each character in the future.

….

Tea and Mai, decided to get some food from the food court before they went shopping. As soon as they sat, Mai asked, "So what is going on between you and Kaiba? Joey filled me in on some of it, but how do you like being there."

Tea let out a sigh and answered, "I would rather be living there without the forced proposal. But, he isn't that bad. There are times when I can ring his neck and then there are times when he is really sweet. I start to wonder if he is the same person."

"Sounds like Kaiba. So while you were talking to Ms. Margaret this morning, I heard her asking how you and Kaiba liked the present that she picked out. What is that all about?"

Tea rolled her eyes and said, "Well it all started when Seto asked the maid to pick his fiancé out a gift. He was hoping that a present might make me less apprehensive around him…"

….

Kaiba was towards the end of his explanation and said, "…she hugged me and told me, "Its perfect and I would be honored to wear it Seto." That was when things went awry. I was so happy that she liked the ring, I reached out for her and she panicked. She backed away from me as if she was expecting me to hit her. The fear that was in her eyes would have made you think she had an encounter with Gozaburo. She is scared of me Mokuba."

Mokuba, always being the optimistic one said, "Well Seto, you are just going to have to show her a little more of your true self. If she knew the affectionate person inside of you that Gozaburo tried to destroy, maybe she could learn to trust you better."

Kaiba frowned, It had only been a few days and Tea had already taken down so many walls he used to protect himself. He was not ready to show her further. He turned to Mokuba and said, "I can't make any promises, but I will try."

…

Mai was laughing like a hyena, "I can't believe you told him that it would look much better on him."

Tea nodded and replied, "Yes that was one of my shining moments. I don't know how I feel about him right now. I made an agreement and I intend to keep it… I just…I wish he would have let me have a real relationship instead, not something that was forced. You know, if Seto would have been a gentleman and asked me out in high school, I probably would have said yes."

"No way! Even with the way Yugi, Joey, and Tristan feel about him?" Mai asked.

"Yes," she said, "I love hanging out with the guys, but make no mistake, they knew not to mess around with my love life."

Mai nodded and said, "Well, how about we start shopping? Is there anywhere you want to go first?"

"Kaiba asked me to pick out a dress from a store called Isabelle's. It is not actually in the mall, but I have an address and it is not too far from here. I am going to be attending a business party with him. It will sort of be an official debut of our engagement."

"Sound's exciting! Let's go!" Mai said as she literally pulled Tea from her seat.

…

Once they reached the store, Tea's face blanched. There were dresses in the window that looked like they were meant to be worn by royalty. The clothing screamed extortion. Mai literally had to push her towards the door. When they entered there was an older woman with a white suit wearing sunglasses sitting on a really expensive chase lounge and a man in a navy colored suit standing by the register.

The lady in the white suit lowered her sunglasses to look at us and said, "You must be looking for Yzabelle's Exotic Dance Club. Once you get to the end of the street, take a right and go down 3 blocks. The building will be on your right."

Tea's eyes got wide and Mai's jaw dropped. She thought they were strippers.

Mai could somewhat understand with her attire. It wasn't the first time someone disrespected her because she liked to show more skin than most. But how could the woman think that Tea was like that. Her dress was a wearing a modest wrap dress. Mai spoke up and said, "Look, we are here to buy a dress. Seto Kaiba sent us…"

She was quickly interrupted by laughter. The woman then said, "I own this store, and Mr. Kaiba has never sent us a girl to dress before. Why would he start now? Now, get out of my sight before I call security."

Before Mai could retort, Tea grabbed her shoulder and said, "Mai let's go. It is not worth all this trouble."

Mai turned around and gave the owner a malicious glare and walked to her car. She grabbed Tea's arm and asked, "Why did you do that Tea?"

Tea replied thoughtfully, "Because, it would hurt Seto's reputation if your bad temper ended up putting me in jail. Even if it was just a big misunderstanding."

Mai didn't like it, but she knew it probably was the best move to make. Mai decided to change her attitude and said, "How about we head back to the mall and get the rest of your wardrobe set up."

….

As Tea and Mai were leaving, the woman noticed the gigantic ring on Tea's left hand and thought, 'hmmm she must have stolen it from somewhere.'

….

When Tea arrived home, she was exhausted. She didn't bother announcing her arrival and simply lugged her bags up the stairs. When she entered the bedroom, she placed the bags besides the dresser. Tea turned to flop on the bed, when she noticed someone lying there, it was Seto.

She debated in her mind whether or not to go sleep on the couch or to just sleep next to him. Finally, her mind said, 'screw it,' and she crawled in next to him.

…

About 2 hours later, Kaiba felt better than he had in a long time. He felt something warm pressed up against his chest and opened his eyes to find that he was holding Tea. Kaiba was unsure if he should move and risk waking her or if he should just stay there and enjoy the moment while it lasted. After a few minutes of savoring the feeling of having her so close to him, he decided that trying to move without disturbing her was probably be his best move. She would probably be furious if she knew that he held her while she slept.

Gently he sat up just enough to free his arm and lowered her down gently on the mattress. He almost escaped when he noticed that she had somehow managed to wrap her legs around his last night. Figuring this could end badly if she woke up while trying to move her leg off of him, he gently shook her awake.

Tea opened her eyes and saw Kaiba's face next to hers. She backed away slightly and he said, "You appear to have entrapped me in your sleep." Tea looked at him confused but then realized that her legs had somehow wrapped around his. She moved her legs and turned red. "You can go back to sleep now if you want," he said.

Tea sat up and shook her head. She then said, "Thank you for letting me go out with Mai today. It really helped calm my nerves some."

Kaiba nodded and asked, "Did you find a dress for the party?"

He noticed Tea cringe and become silent. He realized that she hadn't and asked, "What happened?"

She shrunk under his gaze and said, "It really isn't that big of a deal…"

Tea looked at Kaiba and realized that he wasn't going to drop it so she said, "The owner thought Mai and me were looking for Yzabelle's Exotic Dance Club and kind of threw us out."

Kaiba had a hard time holding back from laughing. Kaiba leaned closer to her on the bed and whispered, "My little "tramp" sure has been busy today."

"It's not funny Kaiba," she said frustrated.

She was about to leave the bed when Kaiba wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her next to him. The action surprised Kaiba at first, as he realized that the affectionate side of himself that Mokuba was talking about was beginning to surface. Despite his reluctance to open up, he decided to go with it and see where it led.

Tea froze when she felt his breath on the back of her neck. When she managed to gain back the ability to use her tongue she said, "Kaiba, let me go."

He breathed in the scent of her shampoo and said, "Actually, I don't think I will."

Tea's eyes lit up in fear again and she asked, "W…weren't you about to go somewhere when you woke me."

He nuzzled his head into her shoulder and some of the fear in her eyes dissipated. Her body became less tense and he answered, "Yes, I was going to get some of tomorrows work done. But, I think I rather stay here with my fiancé."

"You can't do that," she said in frustration.

"Yes I can," he replied.

She bit her lip and answered, "Well, you can but you shouldn't."

He finalized it by saying, "I should."

She rolled her eyes and said, "Fine, just let me get comfortable."

He let her turn over so she was facing towards him and snuggled into his chest. He wrapped his arms protectively around her again and they both went to sleep.

….

Mokuba passed by their room to talk with Seto about how the relationship is going. When he saw them fast asleep in the bed. He grabbed his cellphone and took a picture. This was going to be great blackmail! He sent Seto's phone a copy and snuck into his room to make it his brother's background.

…

When Kaiba woke up the next morning and he found that Tea had already left. He frowned and got dressed for work. On his bathroom mirror he discovered a post it note from Mokuba stating that he was going to visit Yugi. When he came down the stairs, he saw Tea scribbling a note down on the table. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Tea jumped when she heard his voice and turned around. "Oh Seto, I was about to leave you a note. Your chef got sick last night so she was unable to be here today. There are some pancakes I fixed for Mokuba and you sitting in the microwave. The guys called me saying that they need to talk. It sounds serious and…"

Kaiba interrupted her and said, "And you need to go… Fine. But, do you think you could be here for 2:30. I am going to have a designer here to help you find a dress."

Tea smiled and replied, "I will be here. Thank you."

Kaiba grabbed his cup of coffee and watched her leave. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about Tea meeting up with the guys. But, if he didn't let her go, it would have damaged what little faith she managed to develop in him.

…

Tea arrived at the game shop that Yugi lived in and saw Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Serenity, Mokuba, and Mai were all staring at her. Her stomach flipped at their facial expressions and she said, "Hey guys, how are you doing?"

Joey took one look at the ring and gasped, "So, it is true!"

"What's true?" she asked curiously. Mokuba stood up and said, "I am sorry Tea. Joey just asked to borrow my phone this morning and he saw it."

She looked them all in the eyes and asked "Saw what?"

Mokuba opened his phone and showed Tea the picture. She turned red out of embarrassment and said, "It's not what it looks like."

Tristan replied, "Not what it looks like? Tea, you're lying in bed, in the arms of the enemy."

"Hey," Mokuba shouted, "My brother is not the enemy! He saved Tea's life and you know it."

"Kaiba didn't do anything wrong Tristan. When I first moved in, he gave me his room since he is hardly ever in it. After I came home from shopping with Mai, I was exhausted. I went upstairs to take a nap and saw him sleeping there. I was just too tired to care so I crawled in the bed and went to sleep. Somehow in our sleep we ended up… for lack of a better word snuggled up to each other." Tea explained. It wasn't the full truth because the second time they were together, she chose to stay with him. But, they didn't need to know that.

"See, I told you nothing happened. It was all completely innocent!" Mokuba said in triumph.

Yugi then asked, "Tea, I know you agreed to marry Kaiba, but do you have feelings for him."

Mokuba listened intently as Tea said, "I don't really think I should talk about this right now." She used her eyes to signal that she didn't want to talk in front of Mokuba.

Yugi turned to Mokuba and said, "Hey Mokie, I have a few frozen pizzas in the fridge. Would you mind throwing them in the oven?"

Mokuba wasn't stupid. He knew what was going on and replied sure Yugi. He walked through the swinging door and when they weren't looking he moved the door slightly and set up his camera phone to catch the whole conversation.

When Mokuba left the room, Tea said, "Look guys, I know you all are worried about me. But, you should know that I can take care of myself. The Kaiba brothers have been treating me extremely well and I think you all are worrying about nothing. And, pertaining to your question of how I feel about Kaiba…I don't know. The truth is, ever since my mom and dad sold me, to pay for their debt, I am having issues trusting anyone. There are times when my mind even gets cautious around you guys. It is nothing personal, I am just scared of getting hurt or abandoned again."

'So that is why she has been so guarded lately,' Mokuba thought to himself.

Joey retorted, "Tea, you know that you don't have to worry about us doing something like that."

The look in Tea's eyes was almost unbearable to look at. There was so much pain, distrust, and anger. "Really Joey, and let's just say that Kaiba and I do get married. After all, I am wearing an engagement ring." She held up her ring to make a point and continued, "If things do work out and we decide to get married, will you attend the wedding? Would you want to spend time with us during the holidays? And let's say that we have a child together. Would you attend their birthday parties? Tell me Joey, if things work out, would you be able to handle that we might not be able to hang out as much because I am going to be responsible for caring for a family."

Joey was silent and Tea decided that she had an answer. She got up to leave and Tristan grabbed her arm, "Joey might not be able to speak right now, but of course we would still be friends with you. No one here is particularly happy that you are engaged to him. But, none of us really had the chance to adjust. This is a big change Tea and if this is what makes you happy we will all respect it. Besides, although we may not care for Kaiba's personality all that much, we do know that he would do anything to protect his family."

Tea smiled and wiped a stray tear. She hugged Tristan and said, "Thank you for understanding." Tea looked at the clock and saw it was almost time to meet with the dress designer. She bowed to them all and said, "It was nice to see you guys, but I have to go. Let Mokuba know that I am going home."

Mokuba clicked off his camera and quickly threw the pizzas in the oven.

…

Seto Kaiba sat at his desk, looking forward to his next phone call. He picked up the phone, typed in a number, and waited…

Ring

Ring

Ring

A man's voice answered, "This is Isabelle's Formal Attire. How may I help you?"

"This is Seto Kaiba. Put Isabelle on the phone." Kaiba commanded.

In a peppy voice the man said, "Yes sir, here she is right now." He heard the man whisper, "Miss Isabelle this is Seto Kaiba."

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Isabelle said with a voice oozing with flattery..

"Miss Isabelle, I have wonderful news. I am getting married." Kaiba said.

In her head she heard the dinging of a casino game when it hits the jackpot. Excitedly she said, "And you want me to make your suit. Ooooh I could even make her wedding gown, if you would like. I promise you that royalty won't be able to compare to the gown she will wear."

Kaiba smirked, "Actually, I wanted to let you know that I am canceling the 3 suits I ordered last week: the white suit, the cream colored suit, and the pale blue one"

"What? Why sir, they just came in this morning?" she said panicky.

Kaiba answered, "Why indeed? Miss Isabelle, do you remember 2 women coming into your store yesterday? One was a blonde who was wearing a biker jacket. And the other, had short brown hair, a blue wrap dress, and a very large engagement ring."

Isabelle thought back and realized he must be talking about those two women she threw out yesterday.

Before she could speak, he said "I actually had been thinking about having you do all the clothes designing for our wedding. However, after I sent my fiancé to you to get an evening gown, and you threw her out. I decided to go with a different designer. The designer is going to be meeting Tea at the mansion at 2:30 today. If you have any hope of me returning as a customer I highly suggest that you go and apologize to my fiancé."

"Of course sir, I am so sorry that happened, it was simply a misunderstanding. I will go straight away. Have a wonderful day Mr. Kaiba," she replied. Once she hung up the phone, she called her salesman over and said, "Bryan, grab your most expensive dresses and place them on the rolling racks in the back. We have a sale to make."

…

Tea pulled out the key to the Kaiba mansion, when a white van pulled up and a woman with big sunglasses hopped out. She walked up to the woman and said, "Excuse me Miss, but can I help you?"

The woman took her sunglasses off and said, "Oh darling, I don't know if you remember me, but I am Isabelle. I am so sorry for the things I said yesterday. I was completely out of the line! In order to make it up to you. I brought you a number of fine dresses for you to look at."

Tea saw the man pulling out a rack full of dresses from the back of the van. She thought to herself, 'Seto, I thought you were going to have someone else come today. I don't want to deal with these people.' Nevertheless, she didn't want to disappoint Seto by not having a dress for the ball. She checked her watch and it read 2:00. 'Well, at least they weren't late,' she thought to herself.' She opened the door and allowed them to come in.

Isabelle said, "Hold on a second dear. He has to get a second rack and I need to get something for Mr. Kaiba in the car. Just have a seat and we will get started in a moment."

She ran out the door, grabbed the man who was getting a second rack, and said, "Another designer is going to be here at 2:30. We have to be quick if we want this sale." The man nodded and rolled the other rack inside the house.

Isabelle walked in with a box and said, "By the way, these suits are for Mr. Kaiba. The total is $9,000. I am assuming he had left you with a method of payment."

Tea's eyes got big, '$9,000 Is he crazy? Doesn't he know that he can get the same damn suit at the mall for about $100.' Nervously she replied, "He didn't tell me about it…But, I am sure he would appreciate it if I took care of it. You do take credit right?"

She nodded eagerly and Tea paid for the suits. Isabelle then said, "Okay dear, prepare to be overwhelmed!"

She first pulled out a red dress with real crystals across the entire bodice. It was pretty, but red didn't really go with her skin tone. Regardless she tried it on and asked, "How much do dresses like these go for?"

Isabelle answered, "Most of my dresses are between $25,000 and $50,000. This one is a measly $22,500, a real bargain if you ask me.

Tea's mouth dropped, "Does Seto know the how much these dresses are? I don't want him thinking I am trying to take advantage of him."

Isabelle laughed at her question and replied, "Seto just bought $9,000 dollars in suits. Of course, he knows how expensive things are in my shop. He also knows that there is no designer in the world that creates such fine quality clothing as I do."

Tea felt guilty, but she picked out another dress to try. The next dress presented was a one-shoulder Emerald colored gown with a rhinestone headband. Despite hating the color, she decided to try it on so she wouldn't offend Isabelle and her worker. When she came out the bathroom to show her Isabelle swooned over the way the dress and headband looked on her. Never the less Tea shook her head no.

Another dress had tiny mirrors covering the whole thing like a disco ball. For some odd reason she actually liked the style, but she was afraid the dress would catch the light and blind somebody.

She was about to try another when there was a knock at the door. She heard Isabelle say, "Shit," as she walked to the door. Isabelle followed her and there was another designer standing on the front porch."

Isabelle decided to butt in and said, "I am sorry young man, but she is already picking out her gown with me." Isabelle then slammed the door in his face.

Tea turned to Isabelle and said, "Excuse me Isabelle, I can speak for myself, thank you." Tea ran out the door and flagged him down before he left. He rolled down the window and she said, "I apologize Sir for her rudeness. Please, come on in and show me your dresses." She then lowered her voice to a whisper and said, "The truth is, her dresses are almost as tacky as she is."

The man smiled and pulled into the driveway. She walked back in the house and waited for him to come in. When the man stepped in she gasped at the sight of the very first dress on the rack. It was an off-the-shoulder white chiffon gown. There weren't any sequins or gemstones. But it was modest enough to really make her personality shine out more than the dress. That was what she wanted.

Isabelle turned her nose up at the reaction. How could anyone possibly want to wear dresses like that? They are so simple. They look like a junior prom dresses for god's sake.

"What is your name sir," she asked the gentleman.

"James Paterson, and you must be Kaiba's lovely future bride," he said with a bow. He looked over to the dresses on the other designer's rack and thought to himself, 'Awe man, those are stunning. I am never going to be able to compete with them.'

Tea blushed and replied, "I thank you for the complement, and yes I am his fiancé. You can call me Tea. I really like this white one up front, may I try it on?"

He smiled and handed her the dress. While she was in the bathroom trying it on Isabelle was busy harassing the poor boy. He had just graduated from Fashion Academy and was incredibly intimidated by other designers.

When she put the dress on it hugged her curves. The way the fabric touched the floor made her appear as if she was floating. She walked out with a smile and said, "I love it." She did a small twirl and asked, "How much is it?"

"$500 miss," he answered.

She was about to accept, when Isabelle said, "$500, seriously? It must be made from the cheapest fabric you could find. Tea darling, why don't you try on this beautiful purple dress? It is made of the finest quality silk. After all, it is not right to wear white before your wedding."

Tea knew Isabelle was going to give her a hard time, but she decided to play her little game. "I suppose you are right," she said. James appeared to be disheartened by her decision. Meanwhile, Isabelle grinned smugly. Tea then turned to James asked, "James, do you think you could die the dress light blue for me? Then it would be perfect!"

James smiled and said, "That would be no problem. I could even die your shoes the same color if you bought white ones."

Tea shook her head and replied, "That won't be necessary. Thank you Miss Isabelle for your time, but I have made my decision." They tried to persuade her to try on other dresses. She practically had to push them out the house for them to leave. When she managed to get the door shut, she said, "Thank God! I thought they would never leave!"

James laughed and said, "They are a bit pushy. Let me work on fitting this dress to you better."

Since he didn't have his pedestal he normally stood people on, he had to hem and pin while she was standing on a plastic milk crate Mokuba used as a stepstool in kitchen.

While he pinned her dress he asked, "Miss Tea, why did you choose my dress over theirs? She was right by saying my fabric can't compete with the quality of theirs. Not to mention, I could never afford the amount of Swarovski crystals she had on her dresses."

Tea turned her head to look at him and said, "Several reasons, the first one is I don't want my dress to be more expressive than I am. If I am going to be meeting my future husband's business associates, I want them to look at me, not my dress. A dress like the ones Isabelle displayed would only distract people from seeing my personality. Two, I found many of the dresses had so much jewels and embellishments on it, that they reminded me of a parade float." James started to laugh and she continued, "Finally, you did something that they didn't."

"What was that Ms. Tea?" he asked curiously.

She smiled and answered, "You treated me with respect. I value that more than anything. When I first met her, she threw me out of her store because I didn't look the part of one of her wealthy customers."

James replied, "Well dear, when everyone sees you in this gown they are going to think you look like a million bucks. I can see why Mr. Kaiba fell for you. You are just as pretty on the outside as you are on the inside."

She blushed and said, "Thank you."

James had finished and he adjusted his pink cardigan. She truly shined in that dress. "Okay dear, go take it off and try not to stab yourself with the pins. Here is a formal bag to place it in."

She nodded and grabbed the black formal bag and hanger.

As she was coming out with her dress with a bag she heard Seto say, "Tea, we are home!"

"I am up here," she yelled as she handed the man the dress.

Both Kaiba brothers met her in the room and Mokuba asked, "Did you pick out a dress Tea?"

She nodded and gave the boy a hug. Kaiba saw the box sitting on the bed and asked, "Is this the dress?"

Tea shook her head no and said, "Isabelle dropped by to apologize and said that you ordered some suits. She gave me the total and I paid for it with the card since you weren't here."

Kaiba tried not to show it, but he was pissed! How dare Isabelle pull such an underhanded trick? Kaiba nodded and asked, "How much did it come to?"

"$9000," she answered.

Kaiba's face started to turn red with rage. He knew if he didn't get out of there soon he was going to lose it. He picked up the box and said, "Thank you, Tea. I have a few things to take care of. Do you think you could keep an eye on Mokuba for me?"

Tea looks suspicious but she smiled and agreed, "Of course."


	4. Chapter 4

Terms and Conditions 4

When Mokuba was picked up by his older brother. The entire room let out a breath and started to discuss the situation.

"Why did we do this in the first place?" Yugi asked desperately.

Tristan answered, "Because without Kaiba's help, who knows where Téa would be. As much as I dislike the guy, she could have ended up much worse."

Joey's head was lowered and it looked like he was crying. Mai looked at him and asked, "Joey, stop acting like a baby and tell us what your problem is."

Joey looked up and said, "It's my fault," the room was silent and he continued, "I used to be a member of that gang. I did many of the same things that they are doing."

"Joey, you can't blame this on yourself," Serenity said, "Sure you have a past, but who doesn't. You weren't the one who sold Téa, it was her parents. In fact, it is only because of your background that we found out where Téa was. Besides, she didn't look too miserable when she was curled up with him in that photo. "

Serenity then turned to Yugi and said, "Yugi, you need to learn how to move on. Téa may not have wanted it originally, but she is getting married. I know you have feelings for her, but there are other girls out there. Take a look around and I am sure you will find your perfect match."

Yugi didn't say anything so Mai spoke up, "Téa is happy guys. She may not have figured out how she feels about Kaiba yet. But, the way he looked at her proved to me how truly devoted he was to her happiness. Also, some of the stories she told me about him would astound you. When he is with the ones he cares about, he turns into a completely different person. If you were true friends, you all would let her make her own decisions and let her be happy."

…

Seto Kaiba walked into Isabelle's with the white box of suits. As soon as he walked in Isabelle blanched, but she quickly composed herself and quickly thought of a way to try to play it off. "Seto Kaiba, what a great pleasure it is to see you! I met your fiancé today…she's a peach!"

Kaiba didn't bother with the sweet talk, he threw the box on her counter and said, "I want my money back."

Isabelle of course didn't skip a beat, "But Kaiba, Téa bought that for you. It is tacky to return a gift."

"I told you on the phone I did not want these 3 suits. She was unaware and I am returning them." He replied.

"I am sorry Mr. Kaiba but I assumed that was conditional to me apologizing to your wife," she played it off.

Kaiba slammed his hands on the counter and said, "I MIGHT have believed that if you would have charged her the $3,000 we agreed to. However, you charged her $9,000. Trying to take advantage of me is one thing. But when you take advantage of my family, you have crossed the line. Now I suggest you give me my money back or I can assure you that you will regret it."

Isabelle pouted and said, "Fine, I will let you return it…If you have a receipt." She knew for a fact that she didn't give Téa a receipt for the order so she wasn't bothered in the slightest.

Kaiba looked in the box to see if there was a receipt, but he figured that he wouldn't find anything. He looked back up at her and said, "I warned you. Prepare to be embarrassed with your own clothing." He was about to exit when he stopped to say, "Don't you ever stop by my home again. Trying to make a deal with Téa before the other designer got there was not only underhanded, but it was also sleazy. I don't want trash balls like you dirtying my sidewalk."

With that he walked out the door with the box of suits. If she wanted to play dirty, he could play dirty.

…

The morning, Seto got called to New York for an unexpected meeting. While Téa was asleep, he rushed around the room, as quietly as he could, to gather the items he needed for the trip. He was going to be gone for a full week. Remembering the argument he had with Téa last time, he left a sticky note on the refrigerator explaining his disappearance grabbed his keys and left.

…

When Téa woke up, she walked downstairs and expected to see Kaiba sitting at the table, ritualistically drinking his cup of coffee. She was puzzled by his disappearance, but figured that he left early for work. She walked to the fridge and found the note, "Dear Téa, I was called away on a business trip in New York and I will be gone for about a week. If you need anything during the week, you have your card. There is also a list of emergency contact numbers, cash, and a first-aid kit in the top right drawer by the dish washer. Take care of Mokuba for me. Sincerely, Seto."

"He didn't even say goodbye," she said to herself.

Mokuba walked into the kitchen rubbing his sleepy eyes and yawned, "Who didn't say goodbye?"

Téa shook her head and said, "Oh, it's nothing Mokuba. Seto had to go on a business trip, that's all."

Mokuba frowned and asked, "How long this time?"

"A week," Téa answered. Mokuba looked really upset and Téa hated to see him like that so she said, "Hey, don't be sad, he is going to be back soon enough. How about we eat breakfast and then we can go hang out at the mall? We could walk around, get some ice cream, and visit the arcade."

Mokuba smiled and replied, "That sounds great!"

…

The mall was extremely busy that day. Many of the stores were having semi-annual sales. Mokuba looked around excitedly and pointed to a hobby store. Mokuba loved doing arts and crafts. Téa noticed several of Mokuba's projects on display in his brother's home office. She smiled and followed the boy into the store. She picked out a few different projects that they could work on together.

Téa heard Mokuba call from a few feet away and saw him holding up a tie dye kit. "I have always wanted to learn how to tie dye! Can we PLEASE make some, Téa!" Mokuba asked with puppy dog eyes.

She smiled and replied, "Sure, grab a second kit and we can each pick out a shirt to dye." They walked to the end of the aisle and saw a large display of plain white T-shirts. Both grabbed one their size when Téa asked, "Mokuba, what size shirt does your brother wear?"

"Medium I think. But, I don't think he would wear something like that," Mokuba answered.

Téa giggled and asked "Not even if it had a Blue Eyes White Dragon on it?" She held up a small Iron on patch that would look nice on the shirt pocket.

Mokuba beamed and said, "Well, he might sleep in it."

…

It was going to take Seto two days to get to New York. So, he called his pilot and copilot instead of trying to fly there by himself.

He did some work while he was in the air, but his mind was a bit distracted. He wondered why did he start to care about Téa? I mean sure, he was attracted to her in high school, but he never chose to do anything about it. Why would he, she was Yugi's cheerleader, she was always yelling at him over the value of life, and trying to convince him to become friends with the guys. Still, none of that is what made him want to be want to be with her.

…

Tea gave the chef the day off and took the opportunity to cook Mokuba a real homemade meal. Not none of that gourmet crap they were used to eating. She looked through the cabinets and asked, "How does baked macaroni and cheese and pork chops sound?"

Mokuba shrugged and replied, "I don't know, I have never had it"

Tea choked on the glass of water she had and asked, "You never had baked macaroni and cheese and pork chops?"

"I have had pork chops. But not the macaroni and cheese. Seto doesn't like me eating that type of stuff." Mokuba explained.

Tea was shocked, "You mean the wonderful and delicious parts of childhood that make life worth living. What is wrong with him?"

Immediately she starts pulling different ingredients from the cabinets and starts to cook.

…

Kaiba was now flying his jet while his pilot and copilot rested a few hours. They would rotate shifts in order to have the safest flight possible on long flights like these. Since his mind wasn't on getting deadlines met or contracts organized he thought back to a time in back when Tea and him were in high school.

*flashback*

Kaiba had just had a meeting with the principal. The principal was looking for a donation to expand the library.

While heading to the student pick up to his awaiting limo, he noticed Tea curled up in a ball crying under the overhang, trying to protect herself from the rain. Kaiba had notice that she was in a black dance leotard. She must have just finished practicing for the school's dance club. Despite his desire to completely abandon all thought of her, something pulled him to her.

She saw two feet standing before her and she looked up. When she saw it was Kaiba, she looked back down and curled even tighter into a ball. Something about that action, struck him like lightning. He had the sudden urge to protect her. Something in her eyes screamed out to him and he picked up her book bag. She looked back up at him and he said, "Come on." She wiped her eyes and stood up. She looked exhausted but grateful.

As she sat in the limo, he watched as she leaned her head against the window. Despite Kaiba's "generosity," from his glare she knew he wanted answers. "I had dance practice after school so the guys already left. Mom and Dad must have forgotten I had practice today." Tea's head was pounding so she started to rub her temples. Suddenly, she felt an object land in her lap. She looked down to find a bottle of pain killers. She turned her head towards Kaiba and saw that he was no longer looking at her.

Although, she didn't see him looking at her, he was taking occasional sideways glances. Something about her saddened appearance irked him. He was so used to seeing her happy and optimistic personality, that it seemed almost unnatural for her to ever feel anything else.

As they pulled up to her home, she grabbed her book bag and said, "Thanks for the ride Kaiba." He nodded and handed her a card.

He didn't know what he was thinking, but he said, "If you ever get stranded like this again, call this number. If I am available, I will send someone to pick you up."

She smiled at him and said, "Thank you." The rain had stopped and she walked to her door. Once he saw her make it inside the house, he instructed his driver to go home."

*end of flashback*

He smiled as he thought of the sincerity her eyes held when she smiled. Her smile seemed to light up her whole face. There were very few people he knew whose face held so much honest emotion. Many people, in the business world especially, hid their emotions to prevent others from finding weakness. Any weakness becomes a target to your enemies, an Achilles heel. To protect yourself you were forced to hide yourself, so no one got too close.

…

Yugi sat at the arcade with Joey saying, "What am I going to do Joey? It is worse than I thought. Now it looks like Téa is actually falling for Kaiba. I don't want to lose her. Especially not to someone like Kaiba."

Joey played with his food and replied, "I know, I just don't see what she sees in him."

Yugi slouched in his chair and said, "He always acts like a jerk towards her and everyone else. What does she see in him?"

"Maybe that's it!" Joey said.

Yugi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Maybe what's it?"

"Maybe Téa is one of those weird girls who goes for bad boys. Maybe, she wants to be dominated. You should try to be more aggressive towards her," Joey answered with realization.

"I don't know Joey. I doubt that would end well," Yugi responded with great hesitation.

Joey concluded, "You don't know until you try Yugi. And if it doesn't work, you can always apologize."

Later that night, Yugi sat up in his bed debating whether he should try to be more aggressive or not. After all, Joey was right, he could always apologize."

…

Téa yelled with her book bag on her back, "Mokuba, it's time for school!"

Mokuba sulked down the stairs and said, "Yeah, I know." Tea smirked at his expression. She had learned that Mokuba wasn't much of a morning person. It wasn't until 10:00 that Mokuba started to really perk up.

At the University, Téa ran into Yugi between classes. He asked her to join him for lunch today. Of course, she accepted and they met up at Sam's Pizzeria. Téa ordered a chocolate malt and they split a pizza. When Tea sat down in the booth, Yugi grabbed her hand from across the table. She looked up in shock and said, "Yugi is there something bothering you?"

Yugi realized what he did and pulled back his arm as if he had been burned. This was going to be harder than he thought. He shook his head no and asked, "How is life with the Kaiba's?"

Téa's eyes lit up; but, as fast as they started to glow they started to fade. She replied, "Things are going well, I suppose." She lifted up her hand and said, "He picked me out an engagement ring and I am really happy living with Kaiba. I am just scared he is going to get bored one day and decide to leave."

"Because of your parents?" Yugi asked.

Téa nodded and replied, "Yes, that is the main reason. But, the day before yesterday, he left me a note saying he had an important meeting in New York. It then continued to say that he would be gone for a week. He didn't even say goodbye." The frowned and said, "I realize that he is a busy man, but is he really too busy to even tell me goodbye."

Yugi caught a stray tear rolling down her cheek and whispered, "If it makes you feel any better, I would never leave you."

Téa's head shot up and she asked, "Yugi, you don't have feelings for me do you?"

Yugi sucked in a breath before he finally confessed, "I do."

Téa stood up, grabbed her things, and threw some money on the table, "I have to go."

Yugi followed her out screaming "Téa, wait!"

Téa started to walk faster crying the whole time. She has been best friends with Yugi since Kindergarten. She figured that Yugi saw her as a sister, just like she saw him as a brother. She never imagined that he would go and fall for her.

Yugi roughly grabbed her arm outside of the student union, making several heads turn. She turned around and he said, "Téa please, we can try to make this work. Even if I have to love you in secret, I just want to be with you. I am not going to let you go."

Téa pulled her arm from his grasp and screamed, "Yugi, I am getting married! The marriage may not have been expected. But, I have made a promise to Seto and I intend to keep it. I am not going to hurt Seto by doing something as sleazy as an affair. I am not interested Yugi. I'm sorry, but you need to move on."

She turned around to leave, when he forced her into a painful kiss. It was his last hope to show Téa how much he truly wanted her. But, that ended just as roughly as it began. She dumped her malt on his head and venomously said, "Don't you ever touch me again. Stay away from me Yugi." She then walked away in a huff.

Yugi threw his hands up in the air and walked away, 'That went well,' he thought to himself.

…

Kaiba flopped on his hotel bed. His meeting was going to be in two hours, so he might as well get comfortable in the time being. He flipped on the television and the first thing he saw was a celebrity gossip channel. He was about to change it when he saw the anchor say, "Coming up next, It looks like Duel Monsters isn't the only thing Yugi Motou beats up." Kaiba smirked and thought, 'Yugi Motou can't beat his way out of a paper bag. This must be good.'

The reporter said, "Caught live on a cellphone camera, Yugi Motou was caught bothering a young woman coming out of a local restaurant." Kaiba was surprised to see a video of Tea storming out of a pizza restaurant, crying. Kaiba's eyes narrowed and he thought, 'The witch isn't even married to me and she is cheating on me.'

He was about to turn it off until he saw Yugi forcefully grab her. The abusive gesture, caused Kaiba to stop short and looked closer. He listened to the argument between the two and realized that Tea wasn't cheating on him, Yugi harassing her. Every second of their conversation Seto grew redder with anger. When he saw Yugi kiss her, his mind had blown. He threw the remote at the TV set and the screen shattered. He picked up his phone and called up his secretary, "Have the plane refueled and get the pilots back on the plane, we are leaving now!"

"But sir, your meeting is in 2 hours! You don't want to lose this merger do you?" She asked urgently.

Kaiba growled in realization. He couldn't leave until he finished this meeting. Lord help them if this meeting turns out to be a waste of his time. He then instructed his secretary over the phone and said, "I will attend the meeting but the orders are still the same. We are leaving tonight. Have your PR people ready, a scandal is about to break loose and I don't want my fiancé to be hurt by the tabloids."

"Yes sir," she replied as she started to contact individuals.

...

When Téa and Mokuba got home from school. Mokuba could tell that Téa had a bad day. He wanted to ask her about it, but she immediately ran up the stairs to his brother's room and shut the door. Mokuba followed her up, but once he heard her crying through the door he was too afraid to approach her. He may have had better people skills than his older brother, but he still wasn't sure what to do with a girl who was crying.

Mokuba's phone started to ring and he looked at the caller ID. "Big Brother!" he yelled excitedly over the phone.

"Hey Mokuba, how are you and Téa doing?" he asked as he turned on his headset.

Mokuba answered, "I am doing fine. Yesterday we went to the craft story and I picked out some new projects. We were going to work on one today, but Téa looks upset over something. I don't know what to do help her."

"Just leave her alone for tonight," Kaiba instructed, "knowing Téa, she will sort things out on her own. Regardless, I will be home as soon as I can."

"Okay, Big Brother! _Mokuba, Tea, it is time for dinner!_ I gotta go, Dinner is ready! _"_

"Okay Mokuba I will see you soon," Kaiba clicked his phone off and Mokuba headed towards the kitchen.

Mokuba waited for Téa to come to the dining room…and waited…and waited. Eventually his food was cold and he got tired of waiting. He walked up the stairs and knocked on the door of the master bedroom. When he heard no response, he opened the door and found Téa sleeping on the bed. Mokuba walked in and pulled the covers over her. He then turned back towards the door and looked back at her. Her nose was red and there were still tear streaks on her face. Whatever upset her, must have been pretty big. That was when he noticed a hand print on her upper arm. It was a dark purple bruise. "Big brother isn't going to be too happy when he sees this," he whispered. No wonder she was so upset.

…

The next day, Téa wore a long sleeve sweater to school despite it being extremely warm out. She acted like everything was fine, but Mokuba could tell that there was something that was still bothering her. When she came home that day, she tried to act as normal as possible and asked, "What do you want to do today Mokuba?"

Mokuba ran up the stairs excitedly and grabbed the 3 T-shirts and the tie-dye kit. He brought them back down and said, "I want to make the shirts. I can't wait until Seto sees the dragon shirt you're going to make."

Téa didn't say anything, but she nodded and followed him out. Despite her emotional state, she did find that spending time with Mokuba making the shirts made her feel better. For all three shirts, it only took one tie dye kit so they put the other away for a later project. Once Seto's shirt dried, Téa ironed on the patch and was very pleased with the result. "So do you think he will wear it?" Téa asked Mokuba.

Mokuba shrugged and replied, "It looks good, but I doubt he would ever wear it out in public. He definitely would use it for a night shirt though."

Tea smiled and they carried their masterpieces in, awaiting Kaiba's return.

…

Finally, the plane landed and Kaiba was riding home. Kaiba was furious to discover that the companies he was trying to merge with were trying to change the contract, which they had previously agreed on. Once he decided he wasted more than enough time, he just got up and left, no explanation required.

He pulled up to the house and despite being dead tired, he was happy to be home. He couldn't even remember the last time he was this excited to be home. He walked up to the steps, pulled out the keys, and gently shut the door behind him. It was 1:00 a.m. in the morning and he didn't want to wake up the whole house. He sat his briefcase by the door and climbed the stairs. He stopped by his brother's room and saw him fast asleep clinging to a stuffed blue eyes white dragon. He then walked over to his own room and saw Tea curled up on his bed, her face looked distressed.

He sat next to her in the bed and pulled the covers over some. He was about to turn away from her when he heard her whisper his name, "Seto…" He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled deeper into his touch. She was still asleep, but unconsciously she whispered, "please…don't leave me."


	5. Chapter 5

When Téa woke up the next morning, she smiled as she felt something warm pressed against her back. She decided to embrace the feeling until her mind registered that Seto wasn't supposed to be home for 2 more days. She jumped up and screamed.

Kaiba's eyes flew open and he was ready to attack. He looked to Téa to see where the danger was but found she was looking at him. "What?" he asked.

She stuttered, "I…I wasn't expecting you to b…be back for another two days. I just panicked when I felt someone i…in bed with me."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and said, "It's nice to see you too."

Mokuba then bust through the door. "Téa, are you alright?" She nodded and Mokuba then noticed his brother next to her. "Big brother," he squealed with glee as he ran up to embrace Seto. Seto smiled and rustled Mokuba's hair. "We made you a surprise Seto," Mokuba said as he ran to retrieve the T-shirt.

While they waited for Mokuba to return, Seto looked over Téa. She was wearing a beautiful red silk nightgown. She looked flawless…almost. That was when he saw the purple hand print marring her creamy skin. He walked closer to her and gently held the wounded arm to get a better look.

She looked up at him fearfully…What was she going to tell him? She didn't want to tell him what happened and she especially didn't want him to know who did it. Was he going to be angry if she didn't tell him? To her surprise, Seto mumbled, "I am going to kill Yugi for doing this to you."

Téa shrunk back and asked, "H…how did you know?"

He gently rubbed his thumb across the sensitive skin, causing Téa to flinch in response. He let go of her arm and replied, "I saw a video of the attack on television. That is why I came home early."

"Y…you came back because of me?" She asked hesitantly.

Before he could answer, Mokuba came in holding the shirt they had made for him. Kaiba looked at the tie dyed blue shirt and noticed a dragon patch on the pocket. Mokuba said, "We made ourselves one and Téa mentioned that you might want one too. So, we actually bought 2 tie dye kits. But, all we needed was 1."

Kaiba then remembered the promise he made to Isabelle and said, "Mokuba, you're a genius! Do you think you could get me the tie dye kit later?"

Both Téa and Mokuba looked at him like he grew a third arm. "Sure big brother," Mokuba said looking incredibly confused. Before things could get weirder Téa slipped out the door to go help the chef with breakfast.

Seto left for work shortly after breakfast. If he went now, he could finish all of his work by noon.

When he did arrive home he suggested Mokuba grab the tie dye kit so they could dye the suits.

He went through the house to search for Téa, and found her reading a book in his home office. She was lounging on the sofa with a blanket holding a novel. He knocked on the side of the door to capture her attention. She jumped and said, "I am shouldn't be in here, I am sorry."

She started to dart past him when he said, "You are welcome to use the library in here. I don't mind." He then picked up the book she dropped trying to escape his presence and said, "Mokuba and I are going to go tie dye some suits. Do you want to come help?"

She took the book that he was handing her and shook her head, "I am tired today. I think I will just stay in…You're not going to start wearing tie dyed suits? Are you?"

He started to laugh and replied, "Of course not, I am…." He stopped, he couldn't tell Téa that he was trying to get back at Isabelle for taking advantage of her. Téa didn't even know that she was manipulated. He finished, "I am just pulling a prank on Isabelle. I won't even be wearing the suits."

Téa nodded in understanding and sat back down on the couch to read her book.

Seto met Mokuba on the front lawn. "Is she coming?" Mokuba asked.

Seto shook his head and replied, "I get the feeling that she is avoiding me."

Mokuba shook his head and answered she is not avoiding you, she is scared. Mokuba pulled out his cellphone and said, "While at Yugi's I snuck a video of her talking to her friends. I think you should see it before you start jumping to conclusions."

…Video (if you don't remember it)

"Look guys, I know you all are worried about me. But, you should know that I can take care of myself. The Kaiba brothers have been treating me extremely well and I think you all are worrying about nothing. And, pertaining to your question of how I feel about Kaiba…I don't know. The truth is, ever since my mom and dad sold me, to pay for their debt, I am having issues trusting anyone. There are times when my mind even gets cautious around you guys. It is nothing personal, I am just scared of getting hurt or abandoned again."

Joey retorted, "Téa, you know that you don't have to worry about us doing something like that."

The look in Téa's eyes was almost unbearable to look at. There was so much pain, distrust, and anger. "Really Joey, and let's just say that Kaiba and I do get married. After all, I am wearing an engagement ring." She held up her ring to make a point and continued, "If things do work out and we decide to get married, will you attend the wedding? Would you want to spend time with us during the holidays? And let's say that we have a child together. Would you attend the child's birthday parties? Tell me Joey, if things work out, would you be able to handle that we might not be able to hang out as much because I am going to be responsible for caring for a family."

Joey was silent and Téa decided that she had an answer. She got up to leave and Tristan grabbed her arm, "Joey might not be able to speak right now, but of course we would still be friends with you. No one here is particularly happy that you are engaged to him. But, none of us really had the chance to adjust. This is a big change Téa and if this is what makes you happy we will all respect it. Besides, although we may not care for Kaiba's personality all that much, we do know that he would do anything to protect his family."

Téa smiled and wiped a stray Téar. She hugged Tristan and said, "Thank you for understanding." Téa looked at the clock and saw it was almost time to meet with the dress designer. She bowed to them all and said, "It was nice to see you guys, but I have to go. Let Mokuba know that I am going home."

…end of video

Seto then remembered last night how she whispered, "Please…Don't leave me." He wasn't sure how to handle the whole situation so he remained silent and waited to see what Mokuba had to say.

"I think you leaving without saying goodbye is why she is so upset right now." Mokuba explained.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow and said, "I left her a note."

Mokuba shook his head and replied, "Téa is feeling just like we did after our relatives used our trust funds and threw us in the orphanage. She is afraid to trust anyone. The only difference is, she is a social creature and you never were much of a people's person. So right now she is not only afraid to trust people, but she is also afraid to be alone. You always had me, so in that sense it was easier. When you didn't say good bye I am willing to bet that reignited her fear."

Kaiba thought to himself, 'holy crap that makes sense. He looked at his brother skeptically and asked "When the hell did you get so smart?"

Mokuba giggled and said, "Simple, I talked to "MAI" psychologist."

Seto rolled his eyes. Mai was studying psychology in school and Mokuba was constantly calling her to find out what she learned in school. Kaiba was pretty sure that was what Mokuba wanted to be when he grew up.

Now that the suits were done. Kaiba hung them up and looked down at his hands. They now were dyed multiple colors and he looked like he just successfully murdered Rainbow Brite (I don't own this character).

He went inside to wash his hands and was not surprise to find that the dye would not come off. As he exited the bathroom, he accidentally crashed into Tea. He helped her up and asked, "Téa, would you like to go out to eat something tonight? I know you aren't feeling great, but I figure that a meal at your favorite restaurant might be just the thing to make you feel better."

She smiled softly and answered, "That sounds nice. Is Luigi's good enough for you?"

He nodded and said, "Meet us downstairs when you get dressed."

When Téa came down the stairs, she was wearing a white eyelet sundress. The dress was had a halter top so to prevent her bruise from showing she wore a white sweater with it.

…

The restaurant was a simple family business. There were wooden picnic tables inside and signed records hanging on the wall of famous people like Andrea Bocelli. The music was playing softly in the background and a beautiful waitress seated them.

Téa looked at the waitress in silent envy. The waitress was everything she wasn't blonde, petite, model thin, and tan. Her makeup and attire gave her an exotic appearance. She could definitely tell, that both the Kaiba brothers noticed. It didn't help matters when she showed so much cleavage. Suddenly this trip to her favorite restaurant turned depressing. She placed three glasses and three menus on the table.

Téa had seen the waitress several times before with Yugi, Joey, and Tristan and knew how they reacted. But it never bothered her with them. But it made her extremely insecure around Seto. Unconsciously, she started to play with her engagement ring.

Kaiba was in fact paying too much attention to the waitress. He didn't realize it until he saw Téa fidgeting across from him. Instantly, he turned to Téa and asked, "What is good to eat here?"

Mokuba ran off to play a gumball machine and Téa mumbled, "You mean besides the waitress."

Kaiba was in the middle of drinking when he heard the comment and started to choke. "Did you seriously make a sex joke?"

Téa's eyes got big when she realized what she said and her face turned red in embarrassment. Not knowing how to fix this she replied, "No, actually I think that was a quip, but the lasagna is good."

Kaiba scratched the back of his head awkwardly and said, "I think I need something to drink. Do you want anything?"

Téa put her head in her hands and said, "That sounds wonderful."

When the waitress returned for their orders, Mokuba returned to the table with a big shiny gumball. Kaiba handed her their menus and said, "My fiancé and I would like two orders of lasagna and a bottle of white wine."

He then looked over to Mokuba. Mokuba smiled and said, "I want nuggets and sprite!"

The whole table started to laugh at Mokuba's selection and the waitress wrote it down. "Coming right up," she said with a chuckle.

When the waitress left, Mokuba asked, "Téa, can I ask you a question?"

'You just did,' she thought to herself. She replied, "Sure kiddo, what's on your mind?"

Mokuba looked down at his hands. He was afraid to make eye contact with her while he asked, "Why did you agree to marry my brother?" Both Téa and Seto looked up in surprise and Mokuba continued, "It is not that I don't want you to, or anything. I would love to have you as part of our family. I just don't know what made you decide to get together. You two never seemed to like each other in the past and I want to know what changed?"

Téa looked up at Seto trying to see if he wanted her to tell Mokuba the full story or not. Kaiba nodded and Tea whispered, "A couple of weeks ago my parents got into trouble. Their trouble pushed me into a life threatening situation. My friends found out about it and asked Seto for help. When Seto decided to help me, I agreed to help him in return by becoming his wife." Mokuba's face looked saddened. She could tell he was wondering why they wouldn't agree to marry based on love. She explained, "Marriage isn't just about love Mokuba. It is also about survival. You will understand this better, when you get older."

Mokuba nodded and looked over to see the waitress carrying their food back to the table. "Finally," he grumbled.

Despite the awkward moments, the dinner was nice. Kaiba was about to pay when he saw Téa's start to panic. He turned to where she was looking at and saw Yugi waiting to be seated with Joey and Tristan. Kaiba threw his credit card on the table and said, "Stay here."

He walked up behind Yugi, grabbed his arm, and held him in the air. "What the hell Kaiba?!" Yugi screamed as he struggled to break free. Joey and Tristan tried to pull Kaiba off; but, Kaiba was too angry to let go. Téa squeaked in fear. She ran up to try to stop Seto.

She pushed past Joey and Tristan who were attacking Kaiba at this point and said, "Please Seto, let him go…This isn't right."

He looked over to Téa and said, "No, what is not right is for a grown man to try to persuade an engaged woman to cheat on her betrothed. What's even worse is when that grown man attacks her when she refuses his advances. Isn't that right Yugi?"

Tristan stopped his attack and asked, "What are you talking about Kaiba?"

Kaiba looked Yugi in the eyes and said, "Yes Yugi, what on earth am I talking about?"

Yugi ignored his question and looked down in shame. Seeing that Yugi wasn't going to answer, Kaiba commanded, "Show them, Téa."

She shook her head and said, "Please Seto, just drop it. Leave Yugi alone.

Mokuba ran up to Seto and said, "Please big brother, the staff is about to call the cops."

"Show them!" Kaiba shouted.

Téa let out a sigh and took off her sweater. All three boys gasped in surprise. "D…Did I really d...do that Téa?" Yugi asked in shock.

Téa nodded and joey screamed, "Yugi, when I told you to act more aggressive, I didn't mean for you to attack Tea."

"You put him up to this?" Téa asked angrily.

Joey knew that face meant business and said, "I meant for him to act more manly…I wanted him to lift weights, chew some tobacco, or something. I didn't expect him to try to hurt you."

The expression on Téa's face was pure heart break. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She turned to Seto and said, "They know, now let him go and let's get out of here."

"Fine," he said as he dropped Yugi on the ground. Mokuba and Téa walked out the door and when they turned, Kaiba punched Yugi in the nose. "That is for kissing my fiancé you worthless piece of shit." He then walked out the door leaving Yugi bleeding profusely on the ground.

…

Yugi, Joey, and Tristan were asked to leave the restaurant by the restaurant's manager. When they arrived back at the game shop, grandpa Motou ran out the shop because he saw Yugi bleeding. "Yugi, what happened?"

"I'll explain when we get inside," Yugi said in annoyance.

Once they all sat down Yugi explained everything that happened the other day and how it all led up to his now bleeding nose. Once he was finished, Grandpa Motou shook his head and said, "I have never been more ashamed of you, Yugi."

Tristan was furious with both Yugi and Joey, "How could you two possibly have thought that would work. Are you both braindead?" Tristan stormed out the shop and was determined to apologize to Téa. Despite the lack of participation in their scheme.

Yugi and Joey looked at each other, both were plagued with guilt and sadness.

…

When Téa got home she immediately climbed up the stairs and slammed the door behind her. Mokuba was upset and begged Seto to apologize. Kaiba refused to apologize. As far as he was concerned he had nothing to apologize for. He followed her up the stairs and went to open the door. To his surprise the door was locked.

He knocked on the door and said, "Open up Téa!"

"No!" she screamed back.

He was surprised by her tone of voice and said, "Open this door or…"

"Or what?" she questioned, "Are you going to punch me like you did Yugi?"

"No, of course not. Now open this door!" he yelled back. She refused once more and he asked, "If you don't let me in, where am I going to sleep?"

She snorted and answered, "On the floor, like any dog!"

Kaiba growled and walked down the stairs and out the front door. He walked over to the side of his house and climbed up a tree to jump onto the balcony. He opened the balcony door and walked right into his room.

Téa gasped in both surprise and fear. "Now do you want to talk?" he asked.

She threw a pillow at his head and said, "Not particularly. Now, go away."

Seeing that he had no intentions to let her be. She got up to leave but Kaiba pulled her back onto the bed. He straddled her, pinned her down, and replied, "No, I think now is a perfect time to talk."

She was furious, she tried to pull her wrist from his grasp, but he tightened them slightly more. He applied enough pressure to hold her still, but not enough to actually hurt her. Once she finished squawking at him she let out a sigh and said, "Fine, speak."

He let go of her wrist, but remained in front of her. He asked, "What the hell are you so mad about? Yugi deserved everything he got today. He never should have hurt you and he certainly never should have forced you into a kiss. He has no respect for me or our future marriage. Tell me, what did I do wrong here?"

" You forced me to show my bruise. You told practically everyone in that restaurant what he did to me. I didn't want anyone to know what happened because it is embarrassing. You don't know what it is like to feel weak and vulnerable. You don't know what it is like to feel unable to defend yourself. Even now, you are doing everything you can to make me feel weak." She answered.

He moved off of her and sat next to her on the bed. "You're wrong," he said, "I would never purposely do anything to make you feel inferior, because I know exactly how it feels to be defenseless." He started to put his walls up and finished, "I do not wish to discuss this further."

He got up and walked towards the door. Téa's eyes filled with concern and she ran after him. She grabbed his wrist and said, "Please, don't leave me." He stopped and turned to face her. She continued, "I know things are rocky between us. But I do want to go into this marriage with no secrets. Please tell me what you mean when you said, 'I know how it feels to be defenseless.' Did someone hurt you?"

"Yes," he replied, "But, it is over now. I do not wish to relive that part of my life. So, please just leave it in the past."

She then wrapped her arms around his neck and sat her head on his chest. As she listened to his heart beat she whispered, "Fine, from this moment on, we will focus only on things that are happening now and in the future."

He reached his hand towards her chin and lowered his lips onto hers. She gasped in surprise and he slipped his tongue in. Before she knew what was happening, her tongue danced with his and she felt something she had never felt before; she felt loved.


	6. Chapter 6

Téa woke up the next day to the sound of the doorbell. She pulled on her silk robe and went downstairs to answer the door, but Margaret was already at the door. Téa walked up next to her and found the designer, James Patterson, holding her now light blue dress she had altered. She squealed in excitement and pulled him in the door.

Margaret laughed at her reaction and waited by the bathroom door to see how the dress looked.

When Téa stepped out into the living room wearing the dress and Margaret gasped. Téa was a pretty girl normally, but when she was put in an elegant gown like that she was breathtaking. James was at a loss for words. Téa was going to be the first celebrity to display any of his gowns to the world. She was definitely going to make an impact too. He felt so blessed to have been given the opportunity to dress her. He smiled and said, "I doubt Mr. Kaiba will be able to keep his hands off of you. When is the party?"

"Two more days," she replied, with excitement. Suddenly her face blanched. In two days, her engagement would be announced "officially" to the world. She saw how paparazzi used to follow Kaiba in his dueling tournaments. Was she going to be thrust into the spotlight like that? The thought made her stomach curl.

She had always hoped to become a famous ballerina, but generally ballerinas were not hounded by people wanting to take their photograph, or asked to make public statements. Suddenly she saw a hand wave in front of her face. She looked up to see Margaret asking, "Téa, are you alright?"

Téa smiled half-heartedly and asked, "Do you take credit?"

…

Téa placed the dress in her closet and called up Mai. Mai was going to pick her up and they were going to go to the café to talk. She heard the car honk, grabbed her purse and left with haste.

Once at the coffee shop, Téa took in a deep breath, she loved the smell of coffee. She loved it even more now that it reminded her of the passionate kiss she shared with Seto last night. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly, but it wasn't from the coffee.

Mai sat down with Téa in a booth, and Téa asked, "Mai, once the engagement is official in the eyes of the public, do you think I will be able to lead my normal and private life?" Mai took a sip from her coffee and answered, "I doubt it Téa. You are going to practically be Japanese Royalty once you marry Kaiba. Everyone is going to want to see you and meet you."

Téa sat her head on the table and let out an irritated grunt. Mai then said, "But, there are some perks to being married to someone as famous as Kaiba."

Téa lifted her head up slightly, to show that she was listening.

Mai continued, "Well, since you are marrying Kaiba, I am willing to bet that every dance school in the country will want you to be part of their alumni.

Téa rolled her eyes and replied, "I want to get into a dance school with my own merit, not simply because of association."

Mai started to laugh and said, "There really is no pleasing you is there?"

Téa rolled her eyes and asked, "Do you mind dropping me off at Seto's office? He only has about an hour before his lunch break and I want to bring him a cup of coffee."

Mai winked at her and asked, "Are you bringing him just the coffee, or are you bringing him dessert as well?"

Téa rolled her eyes at Mai's joke and then said, "Actually, he might want a cookie or something…" She called over the barista to her table. Mai frowned and accused, "I didn't mean a real cookie and you know it!"

Téa smirked and ended up ordering Seto a cup of black coffee and a piece of strawberry shortcake.

…

When Téa pulled up to Kaiba Corp, she walked up to the front desk and saw the lady who was rude to her on her first visit. She walked up smiling and greeted, "Hello Miss Webster. How are you doing today?"

Miss Webster recognized her immediately and asked, "Would you like to see Mr. Kaiba today?"

Téa nodded and replied, "If he is available at the moment."

Miss Webster nodded and said, "I will call him and ask."

Téa jumped up and asked, "Actually, can I call him?"

Miss Webster was surprised, but nodded. She handed Téa the phone and typed in the number to Kaiba's office.

Téa waited until Kaiba said, "Yes Miss Webster,"

Téa giggled and said, "I just wanted to inform you that your favorite tramp has arrived."

Suddenly Téa heard a man in the background laughing and she turned beet red. She didn't realize that Kaiba had pressed the intercom button in his office instead of picking up the phone. Miss Webster shook her head and got back to working on the computer.

Seto put his hand to his head in embarrassment. He could feel a headache coming on. He then explained, "I am currently in the middle of a meeting, but…" He was interrupted by a familiar voice, "Oh Kaiba boy, stop being such a prude. I would be delighted to meet your favorite tramp."

"Is that Pegasus?" Téa asked over the phone.

Pegasus replied back over the intercom button, "I see you have heard of me. Come on up dear, I would be delighted to meet you."

Figuring that she couldn't possibly interrupt up this meeting further, he said, "Tell Ms. Webster to give you the key." Kaiba then turned to Pegasus and said, "For the record, she is my fiancé."

Pegasus gave Kaiba a seductive glance and said, "It's about time Kaiba boy. I thought you were going to invent yourself a robotic girlfriend for a while there."

"Too bad I hadn't thought of that first," Kaiba mumbled to himself, still feeling mortified at Téa's announcement.

The elevator dinged, signaling her arrival. Seto and Pegasus stood out of respect. When Pegasus saw Téa standing there he grinned. He recognized her and said, "I remember you. You're the DDR champion and friend's with Yugi Motou. You were cheering for him by the sidelines in duelist kingdom." Téa nodded and Pegasus continued, "She is an absolute vision Kaiba. What was it that made you ask for her hand in marriage?"

Kaiba lowered his head to hide his red face and replied, "She is unpredictable..." He didn't really want to answer, but he knew that once it was officially announced, he would be expected to answer similar questions. It wasn't really what he should have said, but he wasn't prepared for the question.

Pegasus laughed and responded, "I'll say, one minute she is Yugi's prize cheerleader and now she is your lapdog. What on earth did you do to tip the scales in your favor?"

Téa gasped in surprise, she couldn't how rude Pegasus was being to her.

Despite Kaiba's anger, he still wanted to try to get a contract with industrial illusions. "Pegasus, I am sure Téa has plenty to do today. Can we get back to business now?"

Pegasus smirked, "Certainly, we can. That would give Téa some time to disrobe for her next financier."

Kaiba pointed to the door and said, "Leave!"

Téa looked up at him in shock and her hands started to shake. Tears pooled in her eyes and threatened to spill over as she turned to exit. Seto stopped her by saying, "Not you Téa."

She turned back around and saw Kaiba stand up and look Pegasus in the eye. Kaiba repeated himself to Pegasus and said, "Leave."

"What about our contract?" Pegasus asked, "We haven't finished writing it."

Kaiba picked up the paper they were working on and ripped it in half. He then crossed his arms and stared Pegasus down. Pegasus smirked and replied, "Fine, I didn't really need this contract with you anyway. Just remember that Yugi had her first."

Pegasus walked out the door and smirked when he saw a stapler fly past his head.

When the door shut, Kaiba slammed his hand on the desk. There was only so much stupidity he could handle in a day.

Téa shakily sat his coffee and piece of cake on his desk. She was about to leave when he reached out for her wrist. She looked down at him and saw that his hand was cut. "Seto, you're bleeding," she said as he pulled away. She saw blood on the scissors sitting on his desk and realized that he accidentally hit his hand on them. She frantically started to search the office for a first aid kit. She finally found it in the bathroom and returned to his desk.

He sat there starting at the wall as if nothing happened. She went to sit on the desk so she could examine his hand, but instead he pulled her into his lap. Téa was surprised, but didn't let that distract her from caring for his injured hand.

As Téa wrapped his hand neither of them spoke. They simply sat with each other, sharing a comfortable silence. Finally Seto sat his head on her shoulder and asked, "Would you like to go out for lunch?"

Téa looked at him skeptically and asked, "Wouldn't you rather go get this cut checked?"

Kaiba shook his head no and replied, "I looked at it. It isn't deep enough to need stitches." Kaiba then pressed the intercom button and said, "I am going to lunch, Ms. Webster."

"Very good, Sir," Ms. Webster said over the intercom.

Kaiba sat the coffee and the cake in a mini fridge by his desk and grabbed his keys.

…

He decided to drive today to try to get rid of some of his pent up frustration.

They pulled up to a fancy restaurant called Godiva's Gourmet. Téa looked at herself, wearing a pink tank top with a pair of shorts. "Seto, I don't think I am really dressed for a place like this," she said nervously.

Kaiba smirked and replied, "You could be wearing a barrel and a fruit hat and they wouldn't care, as long as you are with me."

Téa hesitated, but she exited the car and followed him inside. Seto watched her as she sat down. He could sense her discomfort as she looked around the room. He let out an irritated sigh and asked, "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

Téa shook her head. She had already humiliated him enough today. She opened the menu and pretended that she felt fine. Kaiba knew she was still uncomfortable, but he wasn't about to argue about it. "The steak here is excellent," he commented.

Téa nodded and placed down the menu. After they placed their orders, Kaiba asked, "What's bothering you Téa?"

Téa played with the hem of her shorts and asked, "Aren't you afraid that I am going to embarrass you at that party coming up?"

Kaiba lowered his menu and replied, "Yes,but I am more concerned about the people I work with embarrassing me. Why would you worry about something as insignificant as that? Is it just because of that incident with Pegasus today?"

Téa shook her head no, and lowered her voice, "No, It's not just that…Seto, look around this restaurant at the girls."

Kaiba did and gave her a look that clearly said, 'What about them?'

She then explained, "Seto, all these girls are gorgeous. They all look like super models or famous actresses. I am just your average girl and that is going to make me stick out like a sore thumb. I don't know about different forms etiquette or decorum. People are going to look at me like I'm a …."She couldn't seem to find the right word…

"Tramp," Seto answered in an amused tone.

Téa let out a sigh and replied, "Yes."

Seto reached out for her hand, and explained, "Téa, you will stick out at the party, but it won't be because of the way you look. You are going to stick out because you are genuine, inside and out. And, I just so happen to find that extremely attractive,"

She smiled halfheartedly and bit her lip, even with him being supportive, she still didn't feel right about it.

…

The day of the party had arrived. Seto had taken the day off in order to keep an eye on Téa. He was afraid that she would get "cold feet."

He had the three hideous suits delivered to a set of models from Piercing Tatts Magazine (I made it up.) He pulled on his coat and smirked. Isabelle was going to regret messing with his family.

…

James was so excited about getting his name out there as a designer, he asked to help her get ready for the party. She allowed it and they had just finished pulling her hair up into a curly updo. Téa stepped into the bathroom to put on her dress, while James waited outside. Téa pulled on her dress and was horrified to find that the dress didn't hide the bruise on her arm. Not knowing what else to do she stepped out and showed James the bruise.

James picked up the concealer and started to cover the purple mark. "I know it is not my place, but Mr. Kaiba didn't do this to you? Did he?" James asked nervously.

Téa shook her head and replied, "No, but the guy who did leave that mark now has a matching one, thanks to Seto."

James laughed and replied, "Good for that jerk!" He then placed a pink sapphire heart necklace that matched her ring and continued, "Mr. Kaiba bought this for you. It seems to me that he wants you to be the shining star at this party." She reached up and traced the small white stones around the large pink sapphire. Now go on, Mr. Kaiba is waiting for you."

Téa took a deep breath and walked downstairs to meet him.

Kaiba was leaning against the front door reading over his speech one last time, when he heard someone coming down the stairs. He looked up and saw Téa walking down in a stunning light blue dress. The color of the dress highlighted her eyes, while the jewelry complimented her natural rosy coloring. The fabric was light and seemed to float as she walked. When she reached the bottom step she nervously greeted, "Hi…"

"Hello," he replied in a momentary stupor, "y…you look…." Kaiba searched for the right word, several came to mind, 'beautiful, gorgeous, lovely, elegant, stunning, enchanting, divine.' Finally he settled with, "you look healthy." Kaiba mentally cursed himself, any of the words he thought previously would have been acceptable…But, he called her healthy…like she was a vegetable or something. Why couldn't he just tell her she was the most breathtaking woman he had ever laid eyes on?

She reached out to brush his bangs out of his eyes with a humored smile. He closed his eyes when her hand brushed against his forehead. "You look handsome too, Seto," she replied feeling a bit more confident that things were going to be okay tonight.

…

The limo ride was there felt long because neither spoke. Kaiba was trying to memorize his speech and Téa was trying to come up with a backstory as to how they met. She knew that once Kaiba made the announcement, there would be questions. She didn't want to lie, but she certainly couldn't tell them he purchased her, like an animal in a pet store.

When the car pulled up, the chauffer walked around and opened the door for the two. Téa curiously looked over Seto's shoulder and saw hundreds of people being held back by ropes security on both sides of the red carpet. Flashes went off like crazy as reporters and paparazzi took pictures of the couple exiting the car. When Téa exited the vehicle outside of Seto, she shied away from the cameras and tried to hide slightly behind Kaiba.

Kaiba wrapped his arm around her and whispered, "Keep your head up high and smile. The people here can practically smell fear." She did as he asked and turned her head when she saw three punk rockers wearing the tie dyed suits. She started to laugh and that gave her enough comic relief to be able to enter the building with Seto.

She was in awe as she entered the fancy ballroom set up. There were murals on the ceiling that looked as if they were painted by Michael Angelo. All the walls were white with gold trim and there was a balcony on the right hand side of the room.

As expected, several people there were curious about the beautiful woman on Kaibas arm. The women in the room were especially curious. Many of them tried to flirt with the young CEO, but he was usually uninterested. Of course, in the past he had the pleasure of a woman's company. But, he never chose to be in a serious relationship until now. He adjusted his necktie nervously as he saw some of the women he had sexual liaisons with in the past. He hoped that they would keep their mouth shut about their past, but somehow doubted it. He was going to have to stick by her the whole night, to make sure she wasn't hurt.

Mr. Yakiota signaled Kaiba that it was time for his speech. Kaiba took Téa's hand and pulled her over to the side of the stage. "Wait for my signal," he instructed as he walked to the middle of the stage.

'Signal?' she wondered. She stayed there and watched Seto deliver his speech.

Kaiba stood up there confidently and said, "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you all for coming out to celebrate the ten year anniversary of Kaiba Corp's merger with Yakiota Industries." The crowd clapped and he continued, "Ten years of business between any two companies is an accomplishment. However, considering our future projects I anticipate that this is only the beginning for our two companies. Speaking of Beginnings…" he paused knowing that this was the moment the media was waiting for. Rumors of Kaiba being engaged spread like wild fire after the incidents with Miss Webster and Yugi, "I would like to announce another merger on the horizon."

He signaled to Téa to come up on the stage and she shook her head. He noticed the nervousness in her eyes so he walked to the side of the stage and extended out his hand to her. She hesitantly took it and he announced, "I would like to introduce you to (come on Kaiba, think of an adjective) my muse (close enough) Téa Gardener." He looked over to Téa and saw her smile softly. Then, she looked down when a slight blush started to glow. Kaiba wrapped his arm around her and she placed her left hand on his chest. Unknowingly giving the media a perfect view of her engagement ring. He then continued, "We haven't set a date, but we are getting married."

Téa wasn't expecting the reaction to this announcement. Suddenly cameras were flashing so fast it was almost blinding, people cheered, some of the more daring reporters even tried to climb on the stage to get a better shot. When that happened, Kaiba pulled her behind him just in case his security team couldn't handle the onslaught.

The security managed to get the crowd under control, Kaiba turned the microphone back on and asked, "Téa would you like to say anything?"

Téa looked at him shocked and shook her head no. Kaiba chuckled slightly, as did the audience. He handed her the microphone and she looked down at it in terror. Kaiba didn't know this, but she had extremely bad stage fright when it came to public speaking. She looked up and struggled to say something…anything…Finally, she managed to squeak out, "Hi." She then handed the microphone to Kaiba and tried to leave the stage. He caught her wrist gently and she turned around looking like a dear in headlights.

Kaiba mentally panicked and said, "I would like to take the time now to ask Téa to share the first dance of the night with me."

Téa let out a breath of relief and nodded. He walked over to the disk jockey and asked him to play, "All of me," by John Legend. (A/N Youtube 'Meryl and Maks Foxtrot' to see an amazing dance to this song.)

If he couldn't outwardly say how he felt about Téa, he could at least show her. He walked to the middle of the dance floor where she was now standing and waiting. He whispered to her, "Do you know how to foxtrot?" She nodded and smiled. He took her hand and placed his and on her lower back. The music started to play and their feet seemed to have minds of their own.

Téa was amazed at how wonderful a dancer Seto was. Since he seemed to be able to lead properly 'unlike her other friends who were constantly stomping on her feet,' she allowed her mind to drift as she danced. She silently wondered if there was meaning behind the song he chose. It seemed to relate to them somewhat and he did call her his muse. He spun her around and she instantly smiled. If only she could dance like this all the time. He dipped her and she could see the passion in his eyes, he really did feel something for her.

They expected the crowd to join them eventually, but they never did the entire song. The women looked on with pure jealousy and the men looked on in complete confusion. The idea of Seto Kaiba getting married, was foreign. Much less getting married to someone he truly looked like he cared for. Seto Kaiba wasn't known to care for anyone, other than his brother of course. Many a girl had tried and failed to gain his affection. How did this Téa Gardener somehow manage to steal his heart?

The dance finally came to an end and the crowd clapped. The next song started to play and many of the other couples started to dance. Several business men and women wanted to speak to Seto, so they moved away from the middle of the dance floor. They sat at a table as one by one Seto talked with different business associates. After about three of them Téa whispered, "Seto, I am going to go get me something to drink. Do you want anything?"

He shook his head and replied, "I will get it for you. What do you want?" He didn't trust that one of his business associates would try to spike her drink.

"A cup of lemonade, if they have it." She answered.

He chuckled and said, "It's on the kiddie menu, but they have it." She blushed at his comment and watched him go get their drinks.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see three women surrounding her. They had to be the most gorgeous looking women she had ever seen. There was a redhead wearing an emerald color dress which elegantly blended with her green eyes, a blonde wearing a sparkly red dress with blue eyes, and finally a girl with ebony colored hair wearing a short white ball gown. She smiled at the three and greeted, "Hello, I'm Téa. What's your name?"

The blonde in the center of the trio said, "My name is Airey," she pointed to the redhead and continued, "This is Marcy and the other one is Ebony."

Tea bowed her head and said, "It's a pleasure to mee…."

Ebony interrupted, "Cut the crap Téa! We would all like to know what you did to get Kaiba to choose you over us."

"That is right, he has slept with all three of us at one point or the other in the past. Your pretty but we don't see anything spectacularly beautiful about you. You don't look overly wealthy nor have we ever even heard of a businessman named Gardener. So it has to be something you're doing in the bedroom," Marcy interjected.

Téa sat there in shock. She started to feel extremely self-conscious and cringed as she saw Kaiba returning to the table with a scowl on his face. As he was handed the drinks he saw the three women harassing Téa. He heard what Marcy said, and he was furious. He sat next to Téa and turned to the three women asking, "Don't you have anything better to do with your time than pestering my fiancé."

He figured they would leave but the blond one…what was her name….air head decided she was going to get her answer no matter what, "Why did you choose a simple girl like her, when you could have a goddess? This doesn't make any sense. What could you possibly see in her that we didn't have?"

Kaiba reached grasped her hand under the table, which made her look at him. He answered, "A heart. Téa is a genuinely caring person with dreams and goals that didn't revolve around marrying someone rich. She isn't afraid to stand up for those she cares about and has even been willing to sacrifice herself to protect the ones she loves. Also, as you so rudely pointed out, she hasn't had any work done like the rest of you. If I wanted to marry someone made of plastic, I would buy a doll from the store. Téa is real and I happen to find that incredibly attractive. I doubt there is a part on any one of you, that hasn't been worked on. Now if you don't mind, I would like you three to get out of my sight before I have my security team drag you off."

Marcy and Ebony backed off. But Airey stood her ground and said, "You wouldn't dare."

Kaiba pressed a button on his coat and commanded, "Get her out of my sight."

Two men came up behind her and picked her up to pull her away. She thrashed about to be put down and when they finally did, she turned to the head of security and said, "You tell Mr. Kaiba that this isn't over. He hasn't heard the last of me." She then stormed off to her car.

Téa looked close to tears so Kaiba whispered, "Do you want to go home now?"

She nodded and he helped her up. When they got to the limo, Téa broke down completely in the car. Seto handed her a handkerchief from his pocket and she wiped her eyes. Kaiba whispered, "Ask me anything you want. I will tell you everything."

Téa only had one question, "Did you really sleep with those 3 girls?" She looked him in the eye as if she was afraid he was going to lie to her.

He admitted, "Yes, I slept with them. But it didn't mean anything."

"It didn't mean anything! How the hell could it not mean anything? Sex is supposed to be intimate. It is supposed to be with someone you love!" Téa screamed.

Kaiba knew that nothing he could say could remedy the situation so he answered, "Téa I have been alone for so long, I barely know what love is. The only type of love I have ever been really exposed to was brotherly love. Before you came along, when I came to these things if a woman wanted to have a good time and I found her pretty, I would go with her just to be able to feel something in my life. It would be a onetime fling and I wouldn't contact her again. Haven't you ever been so lonely that you would do anything to feel the warmth of another human being?"

Téa shrugged, although she wished she hadn't known about those women, she had to admit she felt bad for Kaiba. She tried her best to calm down and asked, "Are you going to just toss me to the side of the road once you sleep with me."

"God no Téa, you are going to be my wife, which means you are going to be family. I would never be able to so easily discard you. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I did!" Kaiba answered honestly.

Téa saw her reflection in the car mirror and cringed. "Seto, am I really going to be enough for you? In marriage I expect you to be faithful to me. Do you really think that you could be with only one woman for the rest of your life?"

He pulled her close and whispered, "Only if that woman is you. Téa, in case you haven't already noticed I am absolutely crazy about you. You are the only woman I have ever met that could keep me on my toes. I never know what to expect from you, and I like that. It keeps things interesting. When you walk through the door, I can't seem to think straight. You are just so… beautiful (Finally I said it) I can't help but feel breathless around you."

Téa finally stopped crying and now had a half smile on her lips. She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. Although, she still felt like crap, she knew that Seto had a hard time talking about how he felt. If he was willing to share all this with her, maybe she could trust him. She wrapped her arms around his torso and whispered, "Thank you, Seto." She shut her eyes lazily.

They pulled in front the Kaiba mansion and he ran his hand through her hair, "Anything for you Téa, now how about we get some rest." She nodded and let him carry her to their bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey yall, here is another chapter for all my lovely reviewers. Also, one of my reviewers commented about making a fanart out of one of my stories. If anyone wants to do that, I would absolutely love to see it. I will even use it as my cover for my stories if the artist gives me their permission. Feel free to draw for any of my stories.**

Téa woke up in bed only to find the other side empty. She sat up and looked around the room. She heard running water and assumed that Seto was in the shower. She crept over to the closet and started to dig through it in search of her uniform. She sat her clothes on the bed and stood by the dresser mirror to pull the pins out of her hair from last night. She couldn't believe that she fell asleep in her dress last night.

When Seto came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, he saw Téa's clothes laid out on the bed. "You're not going to school today Téa," he said with a mildly irritated voice.

Téa turned away from the mirror and asked, "Why not?" She couldn't help but blush when she saw Kaiba's current lack of attire.

He smirked when he saw her turn away, knowing what had her flustered. He then grabbed the remote and turned on the television. "There is a scandal at Kaiba Corp. As I anticipated, the media put together that you are the same girl Yugi attacked last week and now they suspect that you are having an affair. Also, that blonde…God, what's her name?…" He now had all his clothing so he entered back into the bathroom.

"Airey?" Tea asked.

He called out from behind the bathroom door, "Yes, that blonde, airhead, decided to discuss our past with the media. As humiliating as this is, I want to focus on trying to get your name cleared. My reputation was ruined long ago, there is no reason to let yours get ruined over nothing. You're going to have to make a statement at the press conference. My PR people have prepared it and it is sitting on the nightstand." She looked over at the nightstand and saw a set of note cards on top. By this point Seto was fully dressed and exited the bathroom. He turns to her and says, "Wear white, it projects innocence."

"But, I am innocent, why would I need to project anything." She asked.

"Just trust me," he said as he exited the room. After Tea showered, she pulled on a white button down blouse and a navy skirt. She wasn't exactly sure what to expect at a press conference, but she was sure it was a safe option.

She met Seto downstairs and he seemed to approve of her attire. He handed her a plate of breakfast and said, "The press conference is going to be at 12:00. Eat up, I don't know exactly how long it is going to last."

He had a couple newspapers he was reading through the articles about him. If he wanted this to go smoothly, he had to know exactly what was out there and what type of questions they were going to be asking him. His eyes got big as he read, a video was posted online by a women who claimed to have been with him.

"I'm ready to go Seto," Téa called out as she washed her plate by the sink. He nodded and followed her out to the limo.

When they arrived at the Kaiba corp. building reporters and paparazzi were waiting for them. He pushed through them the whole way to the door, ignoring all comments. When they made it inside the safety of the elevator, Téa let out an exhausted breath. Seto looked over to her and said, "Things will get better after the press conference." Although Seto said it, part of him didn't believe it. He was nervous to find out what type of video that gold digger had posted and even more scared as to how Téa was going to react to whatever it was.

He arrived at his office to find all his PR people scattered around his desk. He swallowed hard knowing that whatever it was, wasn't good. He sat at his desk and looked down at 30 or more magazines spread out with photos of him and random women. Some he had actually been with some were complete lies. He also saw photos of Téa and Yugi in the magazines as well. One was the day he attacked her, others were from tournaments a couple of years ago. Finally, he looks up at his computer screen and sees the video he had been reading about. He looks over at Téa and said, "Whatever you see here, I just want to say I'm sorry in advance." She nodded and he pressed play.

The video had a date in the corner from 6 months ago, Airey was wearing a black bustier. Seto narrowed his eyes, in irritation and watched.

VIDEO

Airey whispered, "Looks like I won this bet Ebony. And just to prove that I slept with him…" she started to gently pull the sheet that now covered his body. Seto turned over in his sleep and his face was now visible to the camera, as the sheet hit the floor.

END OF VIDEO

Seto put his head in his hands and closed his eyes in shame. How could he have been so stupid? Téa could feel the distress radiating off of him. She looked up to the men and women who were standing in the office and asked, "Can you give Seto and me some privacy please." 

When the last person left, she sat in his lap and waited for him to talk.

"You can go home if you want. When my PR people called me I expected the media to be bashing you over your past with Yugi. They didn't prepare me for this. Believe me when I tell you, that if anything should come up with Yugi, I will address it. But I will not force you to stand through this press conference with me." Kaiba said with shame.

Téa wrapped her arms around Seto and replied, "I'm not going anywhere Seto. I am not just going to go into hiding when things get rough. We are going to go to this press conference and say what we have to say. Then we can go home and I will make something nice for lunch. This will all blow over eventually, you'll see."

When the time came for the press conference, they had read over their speeches several times. As they walked towards the side of the stage Téa squeezed Kaiba's hand to let him know that she was still there. Once in the center of the stage, photographers flashed their cameras and videographers started to roll the tape. Kaiba felt a tug on his sleeve and looked over to see Téa looking terrified. He looked to where she was looking as she said, "My parents are here."

"I'll get them out of here." Kaiba said as he motioned over to two of his body guards.

Kaiba then walked to the podium to begin his speech when he heard Téa's parents fighting with the security. "Téa we're sorry," Téa's mother screamed out.

Téa's father screamed out, "You won't take her without a fight Kaiba. We are going to take this to court! How could you possibly think of trying to buy our daughter's affections?"

Kaiba smirked and replied, "As easily as you seemed to sell your daughters love. Now get out of my sight before I have to throw you out personally."

They tried to fight security but were failing miserably. Finally Téa's mother yelled, "Téa, say something!"

Téa stepped forward and pointed to the door, "Leave."

Finally Téa's parents left the room and the press conference began.

…

When the press conference finally ended, both Seto and Téa were mentally and physically exhausted. They entered the limo and headed back towards the mansion. Téa rested her head on Kaiba's shoulder and asked, "What do you want me to cook for lunch?"

Kaiba looked at her like she was crazy and asked, "You feel like cooking after a day like this?"

Téa shook her head honestly and replied, "Not really, but I promised you I would make something, so what do you want?"

Kaiba snorted and answered, "I want you to **make** a call and order a pizza."

Téa chuckled and joked, "I knew there was a reason I was marrying you."

…..

Mokuba came home from school and saw the two sitting on the couch. Seto was sitting up straight watching the television set while Téa was asleep with her head resting on his lap. There was two boxes of pizza and a bottle of coke sitting on the coffee table.

"I suppose we don't have to eat in the dining room anymore?" Mokuba asked?

Seto chuckled and replied, "The little tramp is rubbing off on me."

Mokuba frowned and asked, "Did you hear about the video?"

Seto nodded and answered, "I addressed it and several other issues at the press conference today. I can't believe how stupid I was."

Mokuba pulled a magazine out of his backpack and said, "Well, this isn't related, but I think I found something that will make you feel a little better."

Kaiba looked at the magazine and saw the title, "Top 3 Best and Worst fashions at Yakiota Industries Celebration." Téa was the number one best dressed, followed by Airhead, and Ebony. In the worst categories there were 3 women he didn't recognize. In the men's section he and Mr. Yakiota were tied for first and a man from Tombstone Toys was in third. None of that he really care about. But when he turned the page, he cracked a smile as he saw the 3 men he hired to wear Isabelle's suits. He chuckled and said, "This is going on the refrigerator."

Mokuba hugged his brother and asked, "Seto, how did Téa take seeing the video?"

Seto shrugged and replied, "She hasn't left me, but I don't really know how she feels about it."

"Don't you think you should ask her?" Mokuba continued.

Seto shook his head and replied, "I don't want to stir up any more trouble and make her leave."

Suddenly he felt Téa move. She yawned and sleepily said, "I'm not going to leave you Seto…YAWN…" She nuggled back into the couch and finished, "Besides, you have a cute tooshie!" She smiled as she saw his complexion turn red.

Mokuba went into a fit of laughter and they all ended up spending the night in the living room.

…

The next morning, Téa woke up in the bedroom and assumed Seto carried her up when he left for work. Téa walked to the dining room and found Seto with his usual newspaper and cup of coffee. Kaiba looked disgusted as he literally saw his ass in the news. Téa snatched the paper away from her and said, "Seto, you are just going to make yourself crazy by reading this stuff."

"Maybe, but there is something I wanted to show you." Kaiba said as he pulled out the magazine Mokuba gave him. "Before the ball, you said that you were going to stick out like a sore thumb because you were 'average looking.' Well according to this article, you were the belle of the ball."

Téa smiled and retorted, "You paid for this didn't you?"

"Do you honestly think I would waste my money on something like this? You were stunning that night. The only one who doesn't see your beauty is you," Kaiba answered honestly.

Téa kissed him on the cheek and asked, "Can I go to the office with you today?"

Kaiba shook his head and replied, "I have a few meetings and I need you to watch Mokuba. I shouldn't be long though, so we can go somewhere together afterwards.

"Okay, how about we take Mokuba to go see a movie?" Téa asked.

Seto picked up his briefcase and answered, "That's fine. I'll see you two later."

…

Téa and Mokuba sat patiently in the living room. They expected him to be home around 2:00 p.m. She called him twice but he didn't answer. They waited up until 9:00 p.m. At that point Téa sent Mokuba to bed. She looked at Mokuba's disappointed face and turned angry. How could Seto get this child's hopes up like that and not follow through. She was going to stay up and see what was so important that he couldn't take time out of his day to spend time with his brother.

A knock sounded at the door. She found that odd, Seto wouldn't knock. She walked to the door and peeked through the hole in the door. It was Joey and Tristan. She opened the door and asked, "Joey, Tristan, what are you doing here?"

Joey answered "We found moneybags beaten to a pulp in the park. Neither of us are sure of what happened, but whatever it was, it wasn't good."

Téa ran to the car and shrieked when she saw him. "Bring him upstairs please! I am going call his doctor."

Téa scurried into the kitchen and grabbed the first aid kit and emergency numbers from the kitchen drawer.

After she called the doctor, she ran upstairs to Seto's room and wet a rag to clean him up some. There was blood everywhere. "What happened exactly?" She asked the two.

"We were on our way to Yugi's house when we saw a fight going on. As we got closer, we realized that it was one person against six. We didn't know what was going on, but we ran over there to help. By the time we got there, he was on his knees and they were holding his arms behind his back. They were using him as their personal punching bag. They dropped the guy they were attacking on the ground to fight us off, but we managed to gain the upper hand. When the fight was over we went to see who their victim was. We were shocked out of our mind to find Kaiba lying there," Tristan explained.

Joey then said, "He became conscious during part of the ride here. We asked him what ya doin out der? And, he mumbled 'Limo broke… Téa… danger… He blacked out again after that."

The doorbell rang and she ran down the stairs to get the door. Margaret looked at her like she had gone crazy when she swung the door open and literally dragged the doctor up the stairs.

The doctor asked them all to leave the room while she examined Seto. Téa paced up and down the hallway nervously while Tristan and Joey watched.

Joey commented, "Téa ya gonna wear a hole in da floor. Stay still before ya fall through."

The doctor stepped out and said, "Mr. Kaiba is going to be fine."

Téa let out a sigh of relief, "Nothing is broke?"

"Surprisingly enough, no bones broke. He will still need to rest for about a week before he can go back to work," the doctor answered.

Joey snickered and said, "Scrooge Mc. Duck isn't going to like this very much."

Téa surprised Joey with the expression she gave him after he said that. Her glare could have rivaled that of Kaiba's. The doctor then handed her a prescription with a sticky note stuck on top. She said, "I have to get back to the hospital, but if you follow these instructions Mr. Kaiba will be better in no time."

Téa nodded and entered the bedroom. She sat on the bed next to Seto and combed through his hair.

Joey couldn't believe what he was seeing. How could she fall for a guy like Kaiba? After all they had been through, she completely ignored Yugi's feelings towards her and then she falls for his enemy.

Tristan stood up and asked, "Téa, Seto said that you were in danger. I think it would probably be best if we stayed the night to make sure nothing happens."

Téa wiped away a tear and nodded. She brought them both to a room several doors down and said, "This is one of the guest rooms. You two could either crash in here together, or find another guest room."

"This will be fine," Tristan said as he pulled Joey in the room. He shut the door and held his hand over Joeys mouth until he heard Téa's footsteps fade.

When Tristan removed his hand and Joey yelled, "What the hell man?!" 

I saw your expression when you looked at Téa and I know your mind. It's obvious that Téa has indeed fallen for Kaiba. Don't you go putting your nose in their business and causing trouble. She is happy, isn't that what you always wanted for her?"

"But, she is happy with the wrong guy! She is supposed to fall madly in love with Yugi. Yugi has always been there for her and he would be willing to die for her. Don't you think he deserves her love more than Kaiba?" Joey asked.

Tristan shrugged and replied, "Yes, I would have preferred her to fall in love with a guy like Yugi, but you can't force it."

Joey retorted, "Kaiba did!"

Tristan threw his hands in the air in disgust. There was no point in trying to get through to Joey. Tristan crawled into the bed and replied, "Whatever man, I'm going to bed."

Joey left the room and headed back to the room Kaiba and Téa were in. He was about to barge in when he heard crying coming from the other side the door. The door was slightly ajar so he peaked in. Téa was kneeling next to the bed holding his hand. Her forehead rested on their joined hands. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she whispered, "Please Seto, Don't leave me….I love you."

A strange feeling shot through Joey's heart as she whispered those last three words. 'She really does love him,' he thought to himself. He then saw Kaiba's fingers start to twitch, like he heard what she had said. Kaiba's hand suddenly started to wrap his fingers around hers. She looked up and saw that Seto's eyes were barely open. "Seto," she whispered breathily, she dropped his hand in surprise.

Seto struggled tried to reach out for her, but his arm fell limp. He could barely move. Téa saw him reaching out and asked, "What do you need Seto? I will get it for you." 

Kaiba then did something Joey had never seen. Kaiba smiled and said, "I…ne…need…you…"

Joey pulled at his hair, as much as he hated seeing them together, he had to admit they both seemed to care deeply for each other. He turned on the balls of his feet and made his way back to the room Tristan was in. "You win," he said as he turned off the light.


	8. Chapter 8

The aroma of freshly cooked eggs filled the air as Joey and Tristan woke the next morning. They walked down the stairs following the scent as if in a trance. When they found the kitchen, the saw Téa and Kaiba pushing a plate back and forth. "You need to eat Seto. How else do you intend to heal?" Téa asked?

"I will be fine. I need to get ready for work, and I can't do that until I have had my coffee." Kaiba stated irritably as he pushed the plate back to Téa.

Téa pushed the plate back and replied, "You're not getting your coffee until you eat. And, you are definitely not going to work."

Kaiba smirked and said, "You have classes today at the University. How do you intend on stopping me?" Once again he returned the plate.

Téa knew he was purposely pushing her buttons at this point. She pushed the plate back to him and answered, "I am not going to go to the University, because don't trust that you will stay home and get the rest the doctor says that you require."

Kaiba frowned, she didn't trust him…He could see why she wouldn't trust a workaholic like him. But, it did still bother him. Suddenly, Kaiba saw the plate move and looked up to see Wheeler taking a bite out of his piece of bacon. Wheeler saw the glare Kaiba shot him with and smiled, "You should thank me Kaiba. I am giving you free marriage counseling."

Téa started to laugh and said, "Well Seto, since we are now out of eggs and bacon, it looks like you are going to be eating Rainbow Cereal."

She shook the box to emphasize his loss and he grunted in response. She chuckled and continued, "I am just kidding. I will fix you some more eggs."

Kaiba got up and walked away from the table. "Where are you going Seto?" Téa asked.

"Back to bed," he answered.

"Well, you didn't manage to get him to eat breakfast, but at least he is going to get some rest. One out of two isn't bad." Tristan said.

Téa let out an irritated sigh, but allowed it. Besides she did need to go to school whether Seto was going to be stubborn or not.

…

When Seto woke up again, he found the house was empty and was relieved that Téa did decide to go to school. He walked downstairs and finally claimed his ultimate prize…a cup of black coffee. He smiled as he inhaled the sickeningly sweet aroma of his favorite cup of coffee. He pulled out his cellphone which was vibrating in his shirt pocket.

"Kaiba speaking," he said nonchalantly.

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba, How did you like your facial reconstruction?" A voice asked from over the phone.

He recognized that voice and growled, "Isabelle!"

"Yes my darling, it is I. Now unless you want Téa to suffer the same fate, I would suggest you comply with my demands." She answered confidently

Kaiba replied, "I don't follow orders, I make them. Now, I suggest you crawl back into that hole you died in, before I drag you down there myself. You will not touch Téa, I will make sure of that."

"Really Mr. Kaiba, you will protect Téa like you defended yourself yesterday? I say, you must not care for her as much as I thought you did." Isabelle answered slyly.

Kaiba was getting irritated, "What do you want Isabelle? More than anything, I hate wasting my time."

"Now we're talking," Isabelle replied, "I want a video apology on the news tomorrow for the 'practical joke with my now technicolored suits' and I want Téa and the rest of the wedding party to be wearing my designs the day you two tie the knot."

"Fine," Kaiba said.

Isabelle got quiet, she didn't expect him to cave so quickly.

He then continued, "I will do it just as soon as the people in hell get ice water." He then hung up the phone and threw it against the wall. Téa was walking in the room just then and had to duck in order to avoid being hit. "Sorry," He mumbled, "How was school?"

"Reporters were following me around all day, but other than that things were okay," Téa answered.

Kaiba's clenched in anger, although he had to admit he was relieved. If the media was following Téa, Isabelle couldn't hurt her while he was recovering.

"Are you hungry?" she asked while she dug through the kitchen cabinets for an afterschool snack. "I was thinking about making cookies for when I go pick up Mokuba from school."

Kaiba nodded, he really wanted real food, but considering he couldn't cook if his life depended on it…it was probably safer to just eat the cookies.

As she reached up to grab the flour off of the top shelf in the cabinet, her skirt slid up her leg slightly, revealing an interesting scar. Kaiba walked up behind her and pulled her into his chest. He ran his hand up to the scar and asked, "Téa, how did you get this."

Téa shivered as his hand ran up her leg. The question caused her to pause, 'Should she really tell him? He didn't tell her his past and although she was curious, she was fine with it. Maybe he would bestow the same curtesy on her.' She answered, "Seto, a couple days ago when I asked about your past, we agreed to leave the past in the past and look towards the future. I would appreciate it if we could do the same with this."

Despite his curiosity, he agreed. He knew he could draw it out of her eventually, but for now he would have to gain her trust.

…

Yugi paced back and forth as Joey told him about the night spent at the Kaiba mansion. "She loves him Yugi!" Joey said in an irritated voice. "I don't know how, but she does. And, I don't think it is going to end anytime soon. You should probably move on Yug."

"NO! I REFUSE TO LOSE TO A GUY LIKE KAIBA," Yugi screamed enraged.

"This isn't a game Yugi," Tristan rationalized, "Téa isn't a prize that can be won at some dueling tournament."

"NO, I WON'T LOSE HER!" he yelled as he ran out the game shop crying.

…

Téa decided to walk to Mokuba's school since it was about 2 blocks down the road. Kaiba watched her from the front porch as her figure faded in the distance. He was about to turn around and go inside when he felt something tackle him from behind. Once he caught his breath that got knocked out of him, he turned his head to see Yugi take a punch at his nose. Thoroughly pissed, Kaiba pushed Yugi off of him and asked, "What's your problem, shrimp?"

"YOU ARE, KAIBA!" Yugi yelled as he tried to take another swipe at him. However, he was surprised to find the hit didn't come even close to Kaiba. He looked up to see Kaiba holding him at an arms distance away. Kaiba was smirking as Yugi took another attempt and realized that his arms were much shorter than Kaiba's. Yugi realized that he was getting nowhere. Yugi then saw Téa and Mokuba in the distance running towards him. Yugi panicked, he had to show Téa that he was strong enough to defend her. He looked around and did the only thing he could think of. He kicked Kaiba in the groin and walked away saying, "Keep your dirty hands off Téa!" He then puffed up and did a macho walk past Téa.

Yugi's heart broke as Téa didn't even seem to notice him. She ran right past him to make sure Seto was alright. Seto stood up and walked to alleviate the discomfort. He then stood up tall and said, "Get the hell off my property." Téa helped him into the house and sat on the couch. That was when he asked, "Wait, where is Mokuba?"

…

Yugi complied, but he didn't realize that Mokuba was following him.

"Yugi," Mokuba called out.

Yugi stopped and turned around to look Mokuba in the eye. "What do you want Mokuba?" Yugi asked in an annoyed tone.

"You're going to lose her forever if you keep acting like this. You may have lost her love, but do you really want to lose her friendship too. She cares about you Yugi, but if it comes to the point where she has to choose, I have a feeling you're going to end up getting hurt." Mokuba stated.

"That is genius Mokuba! Thanks!" Yugi said as he ran off in the distance.

Mokuba scratched his head, "Wait, what did I say?"

…

"Seto, Do you know who attacked you yesterday?" Téa asked as she cleaned his wounds.

Seto nodded and replied, "Yes, but I promise that you are safe. She and her band of crooks will be dealt with."

"She?…It wasn't my mother who sent these people out to hurt you, was it?" Téa asked.

Kaiba sighed and answered, "No, it was an old business associate. She was sore about dropping her label and was out looking for revenge."

Tea wrung out the rag she was using to clean his cuts and responded, "Doesn't this seem a bit harsh over a stupid business transaction."

He winced slightly as she cleaned a particularly deep gash on his face. He then turned away and said, "I have some work to do."

She yelled as he left the room, "Your supposed to be rest…. Oh forget it!" She knew there was no reasoning with him.

…

When Seto made it to his office, he thought back to the events leading up to the night before. _He had planned to be home for 2:00, but everything that could go wrong that day, seemed to do so. When he went to leave, he found his limo driver unconscious and all the tires slashed. After he made sure that the limo driver received medical treatment, he started to walk back to his office to pick up some papers he left on his desk. The phone on the desk rang and when he answered it, his heart just about stopped._

 _A robotic sounding voice said, "We've got your girlfriend, if you want to see her again, you will meet us at the park at 8:00 sharp. Come alone, or the girl dies." He heard a scream in the background right before the phone went dead._

 _Immediately he grabbed his brief case (which contained a revolver) and took off running towards the park. When he got there, he saw no one at first. He walked deeper into the park and before he knew what was happening someone snatched away his briefcase and he was surrounded. There were at least six men there, three of them he recognized as the models he hired to embarrass Isabelle. He tried his hardest to fight back, but 6 against 1 is enough to overwhelm anyone; especially since he ran the whole way here. The last thing he remembered was someone forcing his hands behind his back and feeling a blow to his stomach._

 _The next thing he remembered was waking up in his bed room with tea holding his hand._

Kaiba was back to reality with a tough question lingering over his head; Does she really care for me, or is she just playing the role as a dutiful wife? He needed an answer.


	9. Chapter 9

Kaiba looked over to the night stand and saw it flashing 3:00. Téa was going to be arriving home in about 20 minutes. He pushed himself off the bed and hobbled down the stairs. He sat on the sofa and carefully thought about what he wanted to tell her. He finally realized that he wanted to have a real relationship, not something that was forced. He finally came to the realization that the only way he could have a true and meaningful relationship would be to release her from the contract. So he sat and waited. His palms were sweating and his heart was pounding. What if she decided to leave? After all, she never wanted to be there to begin with.

The door opened and Kaiba looked up. "Hey Seto. I didn't expect you to be up. Are you feeling any better?" she asked as she walked over to where he was sitting. She sat next to him and examined his face. Things looked like they were healing. Téa looked him over, unable to read his face, "Seto, I asked you if you were feeling any better?"

Kaiba shook his head and replied, "I am fine." He then braced himself for the truth. He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Téa. She opened it and saw a check for 5 million dollars. She looked up confused and he said, "I am releasing you from your contract. You can stay, or you can go. It is entirely up to you."

Téa sat there for a moment, trying to read into what he had told her. Finally, she reacted in the most unexpected way. She bent over and let out a sob. Kaiba watched her carefully, uncertain of what to make of her reaction. She then stood up and tore the check to pieces and screamed, "You are no better than my parents, just throwing me away like an old toy when you're done with me. Do you honestly think that I am interested in your money Kaiba? After all this time? No." She started to dig in her purse and threw the credit card he gave her on the floor. "Keep your money, keep your card, and keep your ring," she said as she pulled it off her finger and placed it on the coffee table, "I can't believe I actually thought you felt something for me!" She ran out the front door crying.

"No, Téa wait!" Seto screamed as he tried to stand. His legs gave out on him and he landed hard on the floor. Unable to push himself off the floor, he laid there and looked at the ring. She threw the check and the cards on the ground, but she placed the ring on the table. That has to mean something!

After he healed, for days he drove from one place to another trying to find her. He had checked everyone he knew she spent time with. But she was nowhere to be found. He then checked the hospitals, the airport, and ran old credit cards, still not a trace. It was as if she didn't want to be found.

He even went to see if she had gone home to her parents. They screamed at him, that it was his own fault she left.

Finally, he got a clue a few weeks later from a tabloid magazine. The cover read, "Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen!" It showed a picture of Téa dressed in a waitress uniform, pulling out the keys to her apartment. He recognized the apartment complex as one on the dangerous side of town. Immediately, he grabbed his keys and drove there. There were about twenty different apartments in one building. He looked down to the picture for a clue and noticed her apartment had a few plant pots in front of it. That narrowed it down to five possible doors. He knocked one of the doors and an elderly woman answered, "Can I help you son?"

"I am looking for a friend," he pulled out a picture, "Have you seen her?"

The old woman smiled and replied, "That is the nice young lady who lives next door. She waters my flower pots every day, and helps me with my groceries."

Kaiba let out a sigh of relief and thanked the woman. He knocked on the next door when she said, "She is not home right now sonny. And, I don't know what time she will return home today."

Kaiba nodded and walked to his car. He was going to wait for her.

…

Today was a long day at work. The little restaurant she worked at constantly had her on her feet and it was rare when she ever got a tip. She was just barely making it…but she was making it and to her that was all that mattered. As she approached the apartment complex, she saw a man out the corner of her eye. He was wearing a navy blue hoodie and appeared to be following her. She started to pick up the pace until he caught her. He pushed her into a brick wall, pulled out a knife, and demanded her money. She handed him the purse and silently prayed he would leave. Téa closed her eyes as she saw him raised his knife high. He was about to attack when something stopped him. When Téa didn't feel anything, she opened up her eyes and was surprised to see Seto had caught the knife. "Run," he said through gritted teeth.

Téa quickly ran into her apartment and grabbed her gun. She had gotten one shortly after moving into this neighborhood alone. She ran back outside and saw Kaiba trying to fight the thief off. Téa cocked the gun and screamed, "Drop the knife!" The thief heard the cocking of the gun and quickly took off, leaving Téa's purse behind. Téa bent down to pick up the purse and asked, "What are you doing here Kaiba?"

"We need to talk," he replied.

"I am pretty sure you made your decision loud and clear the last time we spoke," she angrily barked back.

Kaiba grabbed her hand and said, "No, Téa you don't understand. I wasn't trying to get rid of you. The truth is I wanted you to stay more than anything. But, I wanted you to do it on your own terms, not just because of some contract. The reason I handed you the check was in case you did decide to leave. I didn't want you to end up…well in a place like this. I wanted you to be happy and safe no matter what decision you made."

"You didn't want me to leave?" she asked.

He shook his head no and replied, "I just wanted you to have a choice. That way I would know how you truly felt about me." He then knelt down on one knee and said, "You don't have to answer now, but I love you and I would be honored if you would be my wife." Téa paused she didn't know what to say. Kaiba let out a sigh and stood up, "Look, I want you back in my life Téa; I miss you. And, if you need time to think, then I will give you that time. Next Friday, Kaiba Corp is holding a charity ball and I would very much like you to be my date. I will send you a dress and a limo to pick you up. If you decide not to come, I promise not to bother you again. Just know that this is a proposal not a proposition."

She smiled softly and nodded. Uncertain of how she felt, she gave him a hug and bid him goodnight. Kaiba walked back to his car and pulled out the driveway. As he was driving, he was becoming more and more anxious. It bothered him that she was living in such deplorable conditions. He wanted her home, that way he knew she was safe. But, he also knew that she needed time. When he arrived home, he dragged himself up the stairs and flopped in his bed. Work could wait until tomorrow.

...

Téa paced back and forth, he seemed sincere in what he said, but her trust had been shattered in the alleged misunderstanding. She knew that she loved him, but could she trust him? She looked down at the ring on her hand and let out a sigh. The truth is her hand felt bare without her engagement ring and her heart felt empty without Seto.

She changed into her pajamas and was about to go to bed when she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door and found Yugi standing on her doorstep. "Yugi, how did you know where I was?" she asked suspiciously.

"I asked around," was all he could think of as a reply.

She crossed her arms, still angry over the pizza incident and asked, "What do you want Yugi?"

"I know that you and Kaiba broke up, and although this may not be the time or place, I want you to know that I have always loved you."

Téa leaned against the door frame and replied, "I love you too Yugi…but not in that way. I love you as if you were my little brother, not my lover. I am sorry Yugi; I am just not attracted to you in that way."

Yugi's eyes started to tear up. He wiped his eyes and answered, "Fine, I hope you are happy with your decision."

Téa shut the door when he left and crawled into bed. She couldn't sleep that night though. There were just too many questions in her mind.

…

Téa looked back and forth between the clock and her gown which had just arrived. It was a floor-length strapless ball gown, with crystals on the bodice. The color was a light yellow, which would nicely compliment the color of her ring. She still hadn't come to a decision. She knew she loved him, but was her love going to be enough for him? She knew she had to go, whether it be to start or end their relationship.

…

Although there were over 100 people in the room, Seto only had one person that night he really wished to be with. He scanned the crowd in between conversations with other business men. There were people giving him weird looks and whispering amongst themselves. He knew it was about the video. His nerves were getting the best of him, so he decided to get a glass of scotch from the bar. As he stood near the bar, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned around excitedly and was disappointed to find Airey standing in front of him.

"What do you want?" he snarled.

She bat her eyelashes and answered, "I was just wondering if you were up for another rendezvous. We sure had fun last time."

"Not a chance in hell," he replied, "Do you honestly think that after you released that video, ruining both my relationship and reputation, that I would want anything to do with you?"

She pouted and said, "But Seto, she was of cheap quality. Wouldn't you rather a woman who could look good by your side and stroke your…ego. Téa was a second-rate girl at best, I bet you two never even made it in the bedroom."

Kaiba was about to reply when he heard a feminine voice behind him. "I'm sorry Airey, but did you say second-rate? The last time I checked, I was wearing the engagement ring and your hands look bare. I think I would reevaluate who is second-rate in this group."

Kaiba took Téa's hands and pulled her towards him. He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and whispered, "You look beautiful! I'm glad you came."

She smiled replied, "Me too. I love you Seto."

She wrapped her arms around him for a second kiss. There was another tap on his shoulder, but this time it was a man. He smirked and said to Kaiba, "I will pass on the kiss, but it is your time to speak."

Kaiba nodded and Téa followed him backstage. She stood behind the curtain while he started to deliver his speech. She looked at the crowd as he was speaking. They seemed entranced by his words…all except one.

There was one man who had just entered in the very back of the room, near the kitchen. He didn't look like he belonged there since he was wearing blue jeans and a black jacket with a hood that covered his face. Téa found his appearance strange, so she watched him closely. He sat a duffle bag on the ground and started to dig through it. It looked like he was trying to put something together in the bag. He then pulled his hand out of the bag revealing a black object.

Téa's eyes got wide and she ran on stage screaming, "SETO, LOOK OUT!" Seto narrowly missed being shot and his security team quickly chased the hooded man out the mansion. Seto sat up in shock and felt Téa land on him. He looked down at her and panicked when he realized she was bleeding. "Téa!" He screamed as the reality of the situation started crashing down on him, "Somebody get an ambulance!" She was hit twice: once in the arm and one was in her abdomen. Quickly he pulled off his tie and wrapped it around her arm like a tourniquet. She screamed as he applied pressure to the bullet in her stomach.

Quickly, losing consciousness, she whispered, "Seto…"

"Don't talk. Save your strength Téa." He instructed her.

She shook her head and started to gasp between phrases, "No, there is something you must know… I love you Seto… and I am sorry… that I won't make it to our wedding." Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she no longer could feel anything.

Kaiba yelled, "Téa! Stay with me! TEA!"


	10. Chapter 10

Mokuba opened the door and peeked in, his brother was still sitting by her hospital bed. If it wasn't for Mokuba ordering takeout, he highly doubted his brother would have eaten anything. It had been a week since the shooting and she was recovering, but the recovery was slow. But she was recovering. Mokuba walked in with 2 bags and a bouquet of flowers. He replaced the current flowers in a vase and handed his brother the two bags. "I brought some Chinese food today." Mokuba said cheerfully.

"I'm not hungry," the older Kaiba replied.

Mokuba rolled his eyes, "Let's not go through this again Seto, just eat the damn food." Kaiba grabbed the bag irritably and forced the food down his throat. While he was eating, Mokuba said, "the other bag has some clean clothes in it. There is a shower right in the hospital room. Use it. You are starting to smell really bad. Kaiba was about to argue when his brother continued, "Don't worry, I will keep an eye on Téa." Kaiba nodded and quickly finished eating. He then grudgingly grabbed the other bag and stepped into the bathroom.

While his brother was in the shower, Mokuba walked over to the side of Téa's bed to hold Téa's hand. He then whispered "Téa, you need to wake up. Big brother is about to lose his mind without you. He loves you and we need you here." He looked up at the heart monitor which was beeping in the background. He then said, "I know you can hear me. Fight this, and come back home." He felt her finger twitch, it wasn't much but it was enough to let him know she was trying.

…

A few days later, Téa woke up and found herself in a hospital room. She felt something fuzzy by her hand and realized that Seto had fallen asleep in the chair. His head was resting on their entwined hands. Gently she pulled her hand from under his grasp. 'How long have I been here?' she wondered. She wanted to wake Seto, but he looked exhausted. She decided it was better to let him sleep. As she waited, her back started to ache. She tried to adjust herself on the bed but sharp pains in her other arm and abdomen caused her to yelp. Obviously, the sound caused Kaiba to jump straight up. "You're awake," he said in awe.

She nodded but didn't say anything because she was trying to stop the pain from throbbing. Kaiba was too nervous to speak to her. So, he pressed the button on the bed to inform the doctor that she was awake. He stood by the side of her bed and brushed her hair out her face. The doctor walked in and greeted, "Ah, Ms. Gardener, I see you're finally awake."

"Yeah, but at the moment I wish I wasn't," she replied, holding her hand over her injured arm, cringing in pain.

The doctor gently patted her good shoulder and said, "We will get you some pain medicine soon. How much do you remember that night? The police were hoping to ask you a few questions."

She looked over to Seto with eyes of concern and asked, "They didn't catch the person responsible?"

Kaiba shook his head no and answered, "We have several suspects, but no definite answers. The surveillance footage didn't reveal much either."

Téa's face fell, that meant the person who did this might go after Seto again. "We'll catch whoever it is Téa. But, we need your help." Seto said feeling the concern come off her in waves.

She nodded and the doctor signaled outside for a police officer to enter the room. The policeman pulled out a notepad and signaled her to start. The information she could give wasn't much, but they hoped it would lead to some sort of clue. After the police officer and doctor left, Téa and Seto both looked at each other in an uncomfortable silence. They both wanted to say something to the other, but the words seemed to escape them. Finally, Téa asked, "You weren't hurt, right?"

Kaiba shook his head and replied, "No, not a scratch. Téa, why did you do that? I thought I was going to lose you."

"I would have thought it would be obvious. I did it because I love you Seto. I can't imagine living my life without you in it. I am not sure when it happened, but I fell for you and I fell hard." Téa answered.

Kaiba squeezed her hand and asked, "So does this mean you will marry me?"

Téa looked down in fear and shame, "I want that more than anything Seto. But there is something I feel like I need to tell you first. If we go into this marriage, don't want there to be any secrets between us." Seto became nervous but he listened quietly. Téa looked out the window, unable to make eye contact with him. Tears fell down her cheeks as she asked, "Seto, do you remember when you asked about that scar on my leg." Kaiba nodded and she continued, "Well, when I was given to the ringleader, he didn't just leave me tied up in that cell…" She took a deep breath because she was struggling to say the words, "One night, he sent two men to bring me to him. One held a knife to my neck, so I was forced to follow. They brought me to a room and threw me onto a bed. I looked around, and there must have been 7 or 8 men in that room. I struggled against them, but it was no use. Finally, the one that was holding the knife stabbed me in my leg. From that point they proceeded too…too…"

Seto stopped her and said, "I get the idea. You don't have to say it if you don't want to."

She nodded, and refused to look him in the eyes as she said, "That's why I was so scared around you at first. I didn't want to get hurt like that again."

He wanted to hold her and tell her that things were going to be okay. But with her bullet wounds, he knew he would be doing more harm than good. The doctor came in at that point and asked, "Is everything alright?"

Seto nodded and replied, "Yes doctor, but I am going to need you to run a few test after you give her the pain medication." The doctor nodded and left to grab her medicine. Seto looked down at her on the bed. He noticed that she held her stomach while she cried and her muscles seemed to be tense. He knew she was in pain. He caressed Téa's cheek and whispered, "For now, try to focus on healing. All this crying is probably making your stomach hurt."

At that moment, the doctor finally returned with her pain medicine. The doctor checked a few things and said, "Try to let this pill put you to sleep."

…

A few hours later, the doctor came in with her test and determined she was clean. Kaiba felt a huge sigh of relief and thought back to the day he handed her the engagement ring. He now understood the fear in her eyes and more than anything, he wanted to make those people pay for the damage they had done. Téa was perfect in his eyes and to see her this heartbroken and scared was excruciating. But he also needed to be careful how he approached it. He didn't Téa to relive that day by seeing that video. If that video were released, it would ruin Téa.

Kaiba ran his hands through his hair and thought to himself, 'great I am dealing with a murderer and a group of gang members. Life couldn't be better…' He looked over to Téa and silently swore to protect her at all cost.

…

Finally, the day came she was able to be discharged. Seto walked her out the hospital door with his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. He was careful not to touch her injury as he helped her into the car. Once she was settled in, he slid into the car behind her. She gave him a peck on the cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. Kaiba smiled and said, "I am glad you are coming home."

"Me too." She replied simply.

Paparazzi were waiting outside the Kaiba Mansion for them to arrive. Téa's hair stood on end as she saw all the people. Kaiba sensed her discomfort and said, "Just walk straight and don't say anything. My security will keep them away from you." Kaiba walked on the injured side of her body to be safe. Some tried to grab her, but the security team was successful in defending her against the onslaught.

When they were finally safe inside the mansion, Téa was happy to see Mokuba, Margaret, and James (the dress designer) there to greet her. She gave each of them a hug and asked, "James, what are you doing here?"

He replied, "I heard one of my masterpieces were harmed, so I had to by."

"Oh yeah, I am sorry about the dress." Téa said apologetically.

James smiled and answered, "I wasn't talking about the dress…although, was stunning too."

"Can we see the your bo bo?" Mokuba asked innocently.

Téa hesitated but slowly lifted her shirt to reveal the wound. James started fanning himself and mumbled, "There is a reason I didn't go to medical school."

Seto then placed his hand on her back and said, "I think it is time to let Téa get settled in."

She nodded and thanked everyone for visiting. As Seto walked her up the stairs she asked, "Seto, do my scars bother you?"

Seto was taken back by the question and asked, "What do you mean?"

She unconsciously wrapped her arms around her waist and said, "Does the sight of them make you feel…grossed out or anything?"

Seto let out a sigh, he knew this time was coming. He opened the door for her and said, "Téa I need to show you something. Do you remember when we got into that huge fight after we went to Luigi's?"

Téa blushed, that was the night they shared their first kiss. Téa nodded and asked, "What about it?"

Seto started to unbutton his shirt and explained, "That night you said that you wanted to go into our marriage without any secrets and you asked me if someone hurt me…The truth is when someone did."

Once he finished unbuttoning his shirt, he let it slide down his shoulders and turned around. She gasped in horror when she saw the amount of marks on his backs. She saw him shirtless before, but she never saw his back. She couldn't believe she never noticed this. "Who did this to you?" She asked breathlessly.

He slid the shirt back on his shoulders and replied, "My stepfather did this to me as a child. Now, as to your question about your scars, I will simply ask, 'Do my scars make you feel any different towards me?'

Téa grabbed him by the collar of his white shirt and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Seto was taken back by her reaction, but quickly reciprocated the kiss. Téa slid her hands up his bare chest and wrapped them around his neck. His chest tingled as her hands skimmed across him. When they ran out of air, Kaiba joked, "I am going to take that as a no."

Téa giggled and pushed his white shirt back off his shoulders. This time he shrugged the shirt off and discarded the offending object on the floor. Chills went up his spine as Téa combed her hands through his hair. He started to walk backwards towards the bed. She straddled him as he laid back in the bed. Kaiba ran his hands up and down her thighs and noticed she looked nervous. He then asked, "Are you sure you are ready for this?"

Suddenly she burst into tears and shook her head no. He sat up and pulled her into his chest. "I'm sorry Seto, I want to be. I just…"

"Don't worry about it, I can wait. We probably shouldn't be doing this anyway since you just got out of the hospital." Kaiba replied honestly. She nodded and continued to cry into his chest.


	11. Chapter 11

Kaiba was sitting in his office when he got a phone call. "Greetings Mr. Kaiba, this is the Domino Police Station. We are calling about the gun that was found on the scene of the crime."

"Yes, did anything come back on it." Kaiba asked. He looked around his office and frowned slightly. Téa would normally come into his office around this time and they would go out to lunch together. However, it has only been a few days since the incident and she was still healing at home.

"Actually Mr. Kaiba the gun was registered to a Joseph Wheeler. His records show a long history of smaller crimes like breaking and entering and entering, trespassing, and aggravated battery. Do you have any connection to that name?" the officer asked.

Kaiba was shocked to say the least… Of all the people on the list of suspects, Joey was not one of them. But, then again he did tell Yugi to be more aggressive towards Téa, so maybe he was capable of doing this. Kaiba then said, "Bring him in for questioning." Kaiba then got up and started to head home.

….

When Kaiba got home, he crawled in bed with Téa. Téa felt someone wrap his arms around her waist and turned over to greet her fiancé. "Seto, you're home rather early. Is something wrong?" she commented as she snuggled in closer to his chest.

"I was just worried about you, so I decided to come home early." He paused for a moment before continuing "Téa there is something I have to tell you. The gun that they found on the crime scene belonged to Joey.

Téa was taken back by the statement. "Joey…as in Joey Wheeler?," she said as she sat up.

Kaiba nodded and she stood up to leave. "Where are you going?" Kaiba asked.

"It's a mistake. Joey didn't do this to me," Téa replied.

Kaiba grabbed her hand and said, "They are just taking him in for questioning right now. No charges have been filed yet. If he is innocent, he should be able to prove it. The reason I told you was not to make you worry, I just wanted you to hear it from me before it showed up on the news."

Téa nodded and said, "Still, I want to go there to see if he is okay."

Kaiba stood up and stepped in front of the door. "Téa it's not likely, but what if he is the one who shot you. I don't want him to get anywhere near you until I am certain you are in no danger."

"I'm in no danger Seto. Joey would never do this and hypothetically, if he did do this I was not the target. It is not me you have to worry about. You should worry about your safety," Téa responded.

He was slightly hurt by what she said, but he knew it was the truth. So, he stepped out the way and grabbed his keys. "We'll go together," he concluded.

….

As the limo pulled up to the police office and there were paparazzi everywhere. "Are you sure you want to do this Téa?"

She looked nervous but nodded. He climbed over her and said, "Let me go first." He stepped out the limo and waited for Roland to meet him before he let Téa get out. They stood on each side of her to protect her from the crowd but it wasn't enough. One of the paparazzi grabbed her arm from behind. It happened to be the arm she was shot in she gasped in pain and her head started to spin. She fell into Kaiba's arms and Kaiba carried her the rest of the way into the police office once Roland got inside he shut the door and locked it from the inside. "You can't do that," the secretary yelled at Rolland, "This is a public building, they have a right to be here."

"Not anymore Roland. If you have any problem with that, you can deal with him." Roland said as he pointed to Kaiba. Her face paled when she saw Seto Kaiba. She then saw Téa and called for the police chief. Kaiba worked with a first responder on duty to stop the bleeding. Téa was conscious, but barely.

"I doubt it is anything too serious Mr. Kaiba. Her wound on her arm doesn't appear to have opened. It just looks it is super sensitive right now and the pain overwhelmed her," the first responder said.

Kaiba let out a breath and laid her across the bench. He then knelt in front of Téa and whispered, "I told you it was too soon to leave the house." He pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and continued, "The police chief is meeting us down here. I think you should sit a few minutes before meeting with Joey." She nodded and silently cursed for not bringing her pain medication. 

A few minutes later the police chief ushered them into a room. When they entered the interrogation room, the police chief said, "We are going to bring him in soon Ms. Gardner. Are you sure you want to do this?" She nodded.

Before the police chief left the room, Kaiba said, "Chief Lance, we have another crime to report."

Téa's eyes got wide and she said, "Are you crazy?"

Kaiba smirked and replied, "Slightly." The police chief sat down across from the two and pulled out a notebook. Kaiba continued, "As per her friend's request, I purchased Téa from a trafficking ring. Originally, I did it to get back at Yugi. I thought forcing her to be my wife would drive him mad with jealousy. But eventually, I did fall in love with her and it is because of that, I am turning myself in."

He paused for a moment and continued, "I know the ring leader and I want to bring him and his whole organization to the ground."

"And I am assuming that for helping me in this operation, you want to all charges against you to be dropped?" The chief asked.

Kaiba turned to Téa and said, "It is up to you Téa."

Téa could not believe what she was hearing, "Yes, I don't want him in jail. I love the asshat." She was both furious and scared. What he was suggesting to do was dangerous, but if he didn't do it he would be put in jail."

The chief nodded and said, "Fine, but until the operation, I am putting you under house arrest." The chief dug through a cabinet and pulled out an ankle monitor. Kaiba rolled up his sock and let him place the ankle monitor on. As soon as the chief left Téa screamed, "Have you lost your f***ing mind? Do you realize that doing something like this could get your ass killed? And even if you do live, you are a public figure. This will damage your name and possibly cause you to lose everything? What are you thinking Seto?"

"Even you?" Seto asked.

"What?" Téa responded confused.

"You said that I could lose everything, and I asked even you. Will I lose you, if things go south?" Seto asked genuinely looking insecure.

Téa shook her head, "No, of course not. I love you. But I wish you would have talked to me about this before you did this? There might have been a safer way to do this."

"There isn't. I thought long and hard about it since that day you told me about it in the hospital and I just couldn't bare to see you like that. I came to realize that when I saved you that day, I should have saved all those girls. But, the only way I could truly do that is to do what I am about to do now." Kaiba explained.

Téa nodded and said, "I understand." At that moment the door opened and Joey Wheeler walked in with his hands cuffed. An officer stood in the room to make certain that things stayed civil. Joey sat across from them and said, "I didn't do it Téa. I was at home with Serenity at the time. You have to believe me."

"I know it wasn't you Joey. The person who shot me was much shorter than you. But, we have to know, how did the killer get your gun?" Téa asked.

"I don't know how they knew where my gun is, but it is not locked up. I keep it in my nightstand. Anyone could have walked in an taken it." Joey explained.

"When did you notice the gun was missing?" Kaiba asked.

"I didn't know it was missing until the police showed up at my door. The last time I can remember digging in that drawer was 2 weeks ago. The electricity went out and I was digging in there for my flash light in case the sun went down before my lights kicked back on. I saw my gun in there at that time."

"So, the gun was taken in the two weeks before the shooting?" Kaiba asked.

Joey nodded and said, "I know you and I haven't always been on the best terms. But, I wouldn't do something like this. Especially since I know how much you mean to Téa."

Kaiba stood up and said, "As soon as the police are finished their questioning, you will probably be let go. I will not bother you. But, if I ever find out you had a part in this, things are going to get ugly."

Joey nodded and said, "I understand. Once we do find out who did this, if you need any help at all, just let me know. Téa is like a sister to me."

Kaiba walked out the door and waited for Téa. Although Joey was still in handcuffs, she hugged him with her good arm and left.

…...

A the police chief escorted them home since Kaiba was now officially on house arrest. When they got inside the police chief sat on the couch and asked, so how do you want us to proceed with this operation.

"Tonight, I want you to bug my phone. Tomorrow, I am going to make a phone call to the ringleader. I am going to tell him how much I have enjoyed my girl and tell him I am interested in purchasing another. I will then ask him when and where his next auction is. On that day, I want you and whoever you crew to be close by. I am going to go into the auction wearing glasses with a built in camera. This will give you evidence of everyone who is involved. When the first auction starts, that's when you come in." Kaiba explained.

"This will be dangerous for you. If any escape, you will be their number one suspect," The chief said.

"I know, that's why I came to you." Kaiba answered. "Once this is over with, I have tons of security. But, I won't have any while I am doing this."

"I see. Well, I will have my tech guy come bug your phone tonight. For now, rest easy and try to spend as much time together as you can in case things go wrong." The chief said before he walked out the front door.

Seto combed his hands through his hair, and although he didn't say it… Téa knew he was scared. Téa laid her head in his lap and said, "You don't have to do this for me Seto. They hurt me, but they would hurt me ten times worse if they did something to you."

He looked down at her and said, "I do have to do this. I don't want another woman to go through the hell you did. As quickly as I got you out, it wasn't quick enough. Think of all the girls that are trapped there. Téa, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I love you."


End file.
